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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23127577">Family Affair</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doctor959/pseuds/Doctor959'>Doctor959</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy are just a bunch of Misfits [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Misfits (TV 2009), The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(not bad), BAMF!Klaus, Drug Addiction, Explicit Language, Hurt!Nathan, Hurt!klaus, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Klaus Hargreeves-centric, Multi, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Sass, Torture, Whump, injuries</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:53:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>26,367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23127577</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doctor959/pseuds/Doctor959</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hazel and Cha Cha have one last chance to find Five, so they kidnap Klaus. Again. </p><p>Well, Klaus and his obnoxious twin brother. </p><p>Don't they say insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting different results?</p><p>You don't need to know Misfits fandom - just read the note at the end of Chapter 1 to get filled in.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy are just a bunch of Misfits [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1643212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>273</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So tempted to call this fic "Hateration". MJB you are a kween!</p><p>Set after Part 1 "Orange is the new leather skirt", but if you haven't read it, Nathan and Klaus are twins.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Can you smell pancakes? Or toast, I think it's toast." Nathan sniffs loudly, trying to turn around in his chair. </p><p>"Oh, nah man, I think it's my hair. The twats burnt it." He tries to flick his head to get a better look. </p><p>"Bastards."</p><p>Klaus hums in agreement. Even the vibration of that noise hurts his throat. </p><p>"They could have at least left the TV on for us or something." Klaus can imagine Nathan pouting. </p><p>"What would you watch?" Klaus rasps. He tries to avoid swallowing, instead spitting to the side. He can taste the bitterness on his lips. </p><p>"Dunno," Nathan replies. "I'd even take <i>Neighbours</i> at this stage." </p><p>Klaus coughs out a chuckle. </p><p>"What?"</p><p>He launches into a string of barking coughs that remind him of the sting in his shoulder. </p><p>Bastards. </p><p>Nathan gasps theatrically.</p><p>"What? You haven't seen <i>Neighbours</i>?"</p><p>Nathan launches into a rant about a series of pretty awful sounding characters and plot lines without caring if Klaus is even listening. Klaus notices how the shake in Nathan's voice is starting to steady. </p><p>It can't be easy for him, after all, being tied back to back with his twin. At least Klaus has some experience in torture, even if it was in his older body. </p><p>Despite his inexperience, Nathan is taking it like a trooper. He screamed the house down when they brought that hammer down on his knee, but that didn't stop him calling them a pair of <i>cock sucking cunts who would fuck their own sisters</i> in the very next breath. </p><p>He had not shut up since. </p><p>Unfortunately, the rope they pulled around Klaus' neck had done a pretty good job of silencing him (their technique had improved since last time). Their torturers figured out fairly quickly that the best way to get at one of them was to hurt the other.  </p><p>Klaus can't help but jump as the door bangs open. </p><p>He would have been very happy never to see those masks again. </p><p>Nathan is still yabbering on about a toadfish. </p><p>A slap, Nathan's head smacking into the back of his and an indignant yelp. </p><p>"Ow!"</p><p>"Do. You. Ever. Fucking. Shut. Up!"</p><p>That would be Cha Cha. </p><p>"No." Klaus can imagine Nathan's shit eating grin. </p><p>Another slap. </p><p>"Ow! You have sharp fucking nails!" Nathan whines. Klaus chuckles, not able to turn his neck enough to see what is going on. </p><p>"Do you have something to say?" Cha Cha says, meaning every word of it as the threat is sounds like. </p><p>Ah, he can see her now. </p><p>"What's with the masks? We're friends now," Klaus drawls. He can't even try to move away from the hit. His head swings to the side like an open gate. He shakes out the pain, grinning back at her. He can taste the blood dribbling through his teeth. </p><p>She rips off the mask and throws it on the floor. It clatters unexpectedly like a tin can. She presses down on his knees, leaning over him. Tight mouthed, glowering with her cat-like eyes. </p><p>Klaus licks his lips. </p><p>"Is my husky voice turning you on?"</p><p>With a grunt of disgust, she pulls away from him, not before landing a swift kick to his shin. </p><p>Fuck those steel capped boots. </p><p>Nathan laughs.</p><p>"Right - as if you'd have a chance against my sexy Irish accent." He rolls his tongue. </p><p>She's shaking her head, holding a manicured hand to her brow.</p><p>"Aw, honey! Looks like you chipped a nail," Klaus pouts sympathetically. </p><p>Cha Cha rolls her head on her neck. Her lips are pressed hard together. </p><p>She picks up the crowbar quicker than Klaus had expected. </p><p>Fuck. Fuckity-fuck-fuck.</p><p>He's pulling against the duct tape even though he and Nathan have already been trying to get free for hours, but she's winding up for a big swing and that crow bar might kill him. Or worse - it might not. </p><p>"Cha Cha!"</p><p>Klaus lets out a huge breath, which inevitably triggers more coughing. </p><p>God he loves that big bear of a man. </p><p>Klaus can hear the clunk of Hazel's footsteps get louder as he approaches. </p><p>She's still posed like a batter ready to swing, her eyes fixed on Klaus.</p><p>He waits until Hazel's hand is on the weapon before he blows her a kiss. </p><p>As expected, she tries to wrestle the crowbar back from Hazel, but he's already pulled it free and thrown it aside. Klaus feels Nathan jump at the loud clang. </p><p>He calls out. </p><p>"Christ on a cracker!"</p><p>Klaus grins. Hazel groans. </p><p>"We will give you one last chance. Tell us where that son-of-a-bitch brother of yours is now."</p><p>"Technically he's my step brother. No, my half brother," Nathan calls out. </p><p>Hazel does the honours. Nathan grunts as the chairs are pushed back a foot with the force of the big guy's punch. </p><p>"Where is he?" Cha Cha snaps, leaning back over Klaus' chair. "There are a lot of angry people wanting to speak with him about his little stunt at the Commission HQ."</p><p>"Why is he so popular all the time?" Klaus asks. "How come no-one kidnaps Five and asks him where I am?" </p><p>He could go some water. He could go some vodka, if he's honest, but water would do. </p><p>"Ha, can you imagine?" Nathan answers. "Fuck, if they think we're annoying - he would be such a twat -"</p><p>"<i>That's irrelevant!</i>"</p><p>"Yes!" Nathan tries to put on Five's voice. </p><p>"<i>Why can't I get a decent cup of coffee around here</i>?"</p><p>He sounds more Carribean. </p><p>"And -"</p><p>Hazel clutches Klaus head in his huge hands like a bowling ball. He smashes it with Nathan's hard skull.</p><p>"OW!"</p><p>"Fuck man, I thought you were the cool one!"</p><p>"How are there fucking two of you now?" he mutters under his breath, loosening his tie.  </p><p>Nathan takes up the challenge.</p><p>"Well, when a mummy and daddy love each other very much . . ." </p><p>Cha Cha storms out of Klaus' view. He hears the rip of the duct tape being torn from the roll. </p><p>"No! Get away from me you pervert!" Nathan spits with vitriol. "Is this what you do to all the boys . . .mmmmf! Mmmm!"</p><p>Klaus laughs until he hears the tape rip again. Cha Cha's nails cut into his cheek as she pushes his head back into Klaus' and keeps wrapping the tape around his mouth too before circling back to Nathan. </p><p>The bitch has taped their heads together. </p><p>Klaus would hang his head, but he can't, on account of it being attached to his brother's. </p><p>Cha Cha leans into their ears, her voice low and dangerous. </p><p>"In ten minutes we will be back. If you don't have a location for us, we are pumping a bullet through one of your thick skulls."</p><p>Klaus hears their footsteps fade before the door slams shut. </p><p>While their captors not knowing that Nathan is immortal and Klaus gets thrown out of the afterlife by God has its benefits, Klaus isn't looking forward to getting shot in the head. He's especially not looking forward to watching Nathan get shot in the head. </p><p>He looks around the room they are being held in. It's not a big room, more like a storeroom. The ceiling is low. The concrete under his feet is cracked and stained in big splotches near the wall. There's a door behind him. He hasn't seen it, but he can hear when it opens and closes.  Maybe they are under something. He noticed before when Cha Cha pulled his head back with the rope right before he passed out the first time that there were red painted pipes running along the ceiling, so a basement would make sense. </p><p>Out of the corner of his eye he can see a black suitcase thrown open. It sounded heavy and full of metal when Hazel had dumped it there maybe a few hours earlier. </p><p>The crowbar had to come from somewhere. </p><p>Klaus refuses to wonder what else is in that case. He needs to think about how he's going to get them out of there. </p><p>Ben is too alive to help. Even if he tried, he isn't sure he's sober enough yet to summon a ghostly helper, let alone make them corporeal. They had drugged them back at the fair. Who knows what they slipped into their apple ciders (non alcoholic - Klaus had been two weeks clean and dry). </p><p>Looks like he is starting again. </p><p>It had just started out as a fun outing for his family. They had been staying in Berlin, tracking down another poor kid born on the 1st October almost twenty years ago. </p><p>It was Klaus’ idea to go to the fair (of course). Nathan and Vanya had been keen from the start. They managed to talk Luther around with the prospect of arcade games that relied on skill. They talked Diego around with the prospect of beating Luther at those games. Allison was sold once they found out that there would be rides. Klaus knew Ben would love the fireworks.</p><p>Five was the hardest to convince, and as the eldest, the most stubborn as well. Nathan took a mature and well-considered approach in convincing the old man.</p><p>“Please, please, please, please, please, please, please-”</p><p>Five would flash away only for Nathan to find him moments later and resume his begging. </p><p>The old man finally broke when Nathan burst into the toilet and fell to his knees, hands clasped and begging. Five, who had his pants around his ankles sitting on the toilet seat quickly flashed out of the confined space to what he thought was his empty bedroom, only to give Vanya an eyeful as she delivered his clean washing that had just been dropped off. </p><p>Begrudgingly, Five gave up.</p><p>Klaus wonders if his siblings have even noticed that he is missing. It's hard to tell how much time has passed. Klaus guessed that they had been there a few hours. Nathan had been convinced it was over a day. His siblings probably assumed Klaus and Nathan were still riding the Gravitron over and over trying to bet who would vomit first (it was Klaus), or betting who would shoot the most tin cans (also Klaus). </p><p>His head is pounding. He can feel Nathan's damp curls rubbing against the back of his neck. </p><p>The double gag has proved very effective in stopping the brothers from talking. Klaus curses at their ingenuity. </p><p>He needs a plan, and he needs it soon. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When the door bangs against the concrete again, Nathan is in the middle of humming a song that Klaus can only just recognise as <i>Skater Boi</i>. Klaus rolls his eyes at his brother's attempt to remain upbeat despite the situation. Heavy footsteps - that means Hazel. He's got a punch like Luther, but he doesn't have his heart in it. Not like that Cha Cha bitch. He's wearing a beige wrist support for crying out loud. That's clearly a man who has given up. </p><p>Klaus is thankful for his lack of facial hair in his younger years when the duct tape is ripped off. Nathan makes a sound like an angry cat. </p><p>"Quit your whining. Where's Five?"</p><p>Klaus groans. </p><p>"Look, even if we knew where he <i>was</i>, that was hours ago! The way that little guy moves he could be anywhere now."</p><p>He winces for the slap to his face. It must be some pretty colours by now. He'll need a lot of cover up. Shame Allison's foundation won't match his skin tone. She always had nicer stuff. </p><p>Hazel decides to mix it up a bit. Klaus does love a bit of variety. </p><p>He doesn't enjoy the intense electric jolt of pain that seizes through his shoulder as Hazel presses his gloves fingers into the stab wound Cha Cha had so generously left there. She had used a steak knife to tear through the skin. Klaus hadn't started screaming straight away. The first sounds that came out of his mouth were short little gasps, spaced evenly apart that had sent Nathan into a spin. He called out Klaus' name, desperately wriggling in his seat, trying to get a look. </p><p>Then Cha Cha had pulled the knife out and Klaus saw his blood and skin and whatever that other stuff was on the serrated edge of the knife. </p><p>That's when he screamed. </p><p>Hazel's thumb finds a spot that makes Klaus' head burst. He squeezes his eyes shut, holding his breath. </p><p>"Klaus, what's happening? Klaus?"</p><p>Klaus wishes Nathan didn't sound so desperate. It's making the pain in his shoulder worse. </p><p>His heart is going to blow up in his chest, it's pumping that hard. Klaus morbidly wonders if some will splatter out of his shoulder. </p><p>Hazel digs his fingers in sharply, then pulls them out of the wound. Klaus gasps, erupting into more painful coughs. He hears the slap of the glove against the concrete. </p><p>"Where's Five?"</p><p>Klaus feels the cold steel of the gun barrel press against the underside of his jaw. He hadn't even heard Cha Cha approach. </p><p>"I've already told the bear that I don't know. He doesn't tell me shit. You got the wrong guy. <i>Again</i>."</p><p>"Last chance," she warns. She cocks the gun. </p><p>The noise sets Nathan off. He's writhing in his chair, so desperate to turn around that he's actually moving them both. </p><p>"No, no, Klaus!"</p><p>Klaus looks up at Cha Cha, staring into her cold brown eyes. His last act of defiance. He hopes God feels like sending him back again. He's not sure if that was a one-time-offer, but he's about to find out. </p><p>“Where’s Five?” She sounds out each syllable, smooth and slow as they roll over her tongue. </p><p>Klaus huffs emphatically.</p><p>“Fine, I’ll tell you. Look, not many people know this about Five - he’d kill me if he knew I was repeating this.”</p><p>Cha Cha is the queen of the slow blink. Klaus has to give her that - she has sass to spare and an attitude to match. He can just imagine her partying hard in a club back in the day with killer hoop earrings and fishnets. She would <i>definitely</i> have some moves.</p><p>Klaus leaned in as far as the pistol pressed against his chin would allow and whispered.</p><p>“I dunno, it might be his way of expressing his true age, or maybe he learned when he was on a mission in China - I don’t know. But I know it’s serious. He meets with them all the time. I’m always like <i>Five, where have you been?</i> and he never tells, he’s so secretive.”</p><p>Cha Cha leans in ever so slightly. Klaus twists his lips into a conspiratorial smirk.</p><p>“But he doesn’t know I followed him. I saw where he’s been going.”</p><p>Her head tilts to the side, her perfect bob hanging, remaining obedient to gravity. </p><p>“Where does he go?”</p><p>“This apartment downtown. You should see them all. Sitting around the table, planning, conspiring. They do it for hours.”</p><p>“Do what?”</p><p>Klaus flicks his big green eyes up at her through his lashes.</p><p>His voice is low and serious.</p><p>“Play Mahjong.”</p><p>Her jaw clenches. She looks up at the roof. </p><p>Nathan starts laughing abruptly. The sound is stupidly loud, echoing off the walls. </p><p>Klaus tries to turn to look at him when there’s a sharp burst of pain across his cheekbone and his head is snapped to the side. He winces. That one <i>hurt</i>. A second later and the move is repeated the other way. The force is brutal. </p><p>Cha Cha is panting hard, like a racehorse about to start. </p><p>“Urg!” Klaus grinds out. He’s bitten his tongue. Far out brussel sprout. </p><p>“Stop fucking around!” </p><p>She presses the gun against his temple pushing his head so hard his ear touches his shoulder. </p><p> He grins up at her. </p><p>"You aren't going to kill me. Five won't come unless he has to come and save his junkie brother's arse."</p><p>Cha Cha's sleek bob shifts as she stands up straight, pulling the gun away from his skin. </p><p>The look of knowing on her face sends Klaus' stomach in flips. </p><p>"You're right." </p><p>He hadn't changed her mind. She was never going to shoot him. </p><p>She turns. </p><p><i>BANG</i>.</p><p>Something hot and wet splatters over the back of his neck, hitting his cheek. </p><p>Klaus is pulled back by the ropes around his chest as Nathan's body slumps forward. </p><p>"No." </p><p>The word trembles over his quivering lips. </p><p>No, not Nathan. Not Nathan.</p><p><i>It's ok-it's ok-it's ok</i>. He says it over and over, his lips moving soundlessly over the words. He's immortal. He'll come back. He's immortal. </p><p>He can't die.</p><p>Not Nathan. </p><p> </p><p>Then things get worse. </p><p>The room is pitched into complete darkness just before the heavy door slams shut. </p><p>Klaus is sitting helplessly in the dark, still tied to his dead brother. </p><p>He can feel them. </p><p>The drugs have worn off. </p><p>
  <i>Klaus?</i>
</p><p>"No! Leave me alone!"</p><p>It's so dark. They call for him. </p><p>He pulls at the tape holding down his wrists. He's trapped.</p><p>Klaus takes a deep breath. He can't lose control of his emotions now. They'll tear him apart if he pulls a stunt like back at the community centre. The ghosts, they’ll smell his fear. </p><p>His body is trembling so much that the chair is rattling against the concrete. </p><p>"Nathan?" he whispers, trying not to alert the ghosts. He can't see them, fuck, he can't see them. He knows they're there. </p><p>Hazel and Cha Cha have so many ghosts. </p><p>Back at the motel they were co operative. They were hopeful. Klaus would avenge them. Klaus would help them. That’s what they thought.</p><p>If they see him back here again tied in a chair to his dead brother whimpering in the dark they will know. They will know how weak he is. </p><p>It's so dark. </p><p>It's so dark. </p><p>They’re speaking to him, calling out to him. </p><p>
  <i>Klaus.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Why didn’t you help us? We helped you but you didn’t help us.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>You should have killed them Klaus. You just ran away and let the police lady get killed. You should have stayed.</i>
</p><p>“Klaus?”</p><p>He knows that voice. </p><p>"Nathan! Oh, thank the little girl in the sky, you're alive!"</p><p>Klaus laughs in relief. He can't see his brother, but he'd know that beautiful Irish voice anywhere.</p><p>The voice sounds closer, almost coming from right in front of Klaus.</p><p>But that doesn't make sense? They're still tied together. . . </p><p>"Well, not quite . . ."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What are you doing Nathan? Save your boy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's the first time Klaus has cried during the whole ordeal. He didn't even shed a tear when Cha Cha poured boiling water over his legs (and fuck, if he didn't try to tilt his hips up to save his junk, that would have been disastrous). </p><p>Meeting his twin's ghost left an empty feeling in his chest, like Luther clenching his lungs in his huge fist. His breaths are too short and too far apart.</p><p>The tears leak out, dribbling down his cheeks.</p><p>"Nathan - I'm . . . .I'm so sorry. . . "</p><p>The ghost waves his hands, swatting away Klaus’ stuttered words.</p><p>"Shut up you silly twat. We gotta get outta here. Make me all solid-like."</p><p>Klaus nods, steeling himself. </p><p>He’s sober, he can do this. He just needs to concentrate. Concentrate. </p><p>Nathan’s body is still warm against his back.</p><p>Concentrate.</p><p>What if Nathan doesn’t come back?</p><p>Concentrate.</p><p>The ghosts are so loud, talking all at once in the background. Why can’t they just shut up for one minute?</p><p>Concentrate.</p><p>He hates not being able to see them. The fuckers could have left the light on. </p><p>C’mon Klaus, focus!</p><p>What if Nathan’s dead and it’s all his fault?</p><p>“KLAUS!”</p><p>He jumps at Nathan’s shout. </p><p>“Ss . . sorry,” Klaus manages to stutter out. “Fuck.”</p><p>His voice is shaking. He wishes he could see Nathan. He wishes it wasn’t so dark. </p><p>“Klaus,” Nathan says in a soothing voice he’s never heard from the crazy kid, “We haven’t got much time.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Nathan sighs. “I dunno, I can’t explain it. It - it kinda feels like I’m being swept down a river and then it forks off. Most of the water goes one way. I’m going the other, but then, I’ve grabbed a rock, and I’m hanging onto it. I can’t hang on for much longer. I’m going to get swept down that river and then we’re both fucked.”</p><p>Klaus nods, even though Nathan can’t see him. He shuts his eyes, focusing on the sound of his own ragged breathing instead of the wailing ghosts. </p><p>He clenches his tattooed hands into fists and concentrates on finding that same feeling deep in his bones. He knows straight away that he’s found it. It feels like iced water flowing thick through his veins. </p><p>The blue glow seeps in through the gaps between his eyelids. He opens them to find ethereal blue light streaming from his hands, weaving through the veins in his arms. The whole room is awash with the blue light. </p><p>Nathan is standing in front of him, as real as Ben had been, smug grin on his face. He’s still wearing his faded navy tank but it’s torn to shreds. His jeans hang from his hips, a shadowy stain blooming from his knee. There’s a dark hole in the side of his head. Klaus tries not to look at the mess at the back of the other side. He can still feel it dripping down the back of his neck.</p><p>“Fuck yeah!” Nathan whoops, running out of sight. Klaus lets out a gasp of relief when the lights flick on. </p><p>“Quick, the suitcase,” Klaus urges, pointing his head towards the assortment of torture tools on the ground to his left. He hears the clunking and clattering of the tools being thrown around until Nathan returns with a machete.</p><p>“Holy shit! You couldn’t find anything smaller?” Klaus asks, eyes wide. Nathan shrugs. </p><p>“No time. Stay still!” He licks his lips, lining the blade up with the tape holding Klaus’ left arm to the chair. Klaus jams his eyes shut. He’d prefer not to watch his brother’s ghost sever his <i>goodbye</i> hand from his body.</p><p>Klaus feels the pull of the tape back and forth against his wrist as Nathan pulls the blade through it. </p><p>“Got it!” </p><p>Klaus cracks an eye open. His wrist feels wet and there’s blood but it’s sticky and congealed, not fresh. His left hand is free. His upper arms are still trapped by the rope tying him to Nathan’s dead body.</p><p>“Do the rope next,” Klaus urges. He doesn’t know how this works for Nathan. Will a little girl throw him out of the afterlife unexpectedly? If she didn’t like Klaus, she would <i>hate</i> Nathan. Klaus may be snarky, but Nathan is just down-right obnoxious. Allison described him as abrasive. She had been trying to explain why no-one wanted to share a room with him and Nathan when they first arrived in Berlin. </p><p>Five had been less diplomatic. “He can’t filter the shit thoughts that run around that thing he calls a brain all day, you scream like a banshee all night. No-one in that room is getting any peace.”</p><p>Diego had shoved him and Ben purposely didn’t buy him a coffee when he got everyone else one from the cafe next to the hostel. Still, Klaus and Nathan had still been left in the shitty small room without a bathroom or a window.</p><p>It wasn’t too dissimilar to their current digs. </p><p>Nathan hooks the machete between Klaus’ bicep and the rope, pointing the blade outwards. Klaus is glad that if he slips, he won’t be stabbed, well, hopefully. Nathan starts sawing. </p><p>“These guys need to sharpen their tools!” Nathan grunts, adding a second hand to the effort. </p><p>“Maybe I should conjure Dave instead?” Klaus drawls sarcastically.</p><p>Nathan pauses, nodding.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea actually.”</p><p>“I would if I could,” Klaus sighs. It wasn’t a case of <i>conjuring</i> Dave as much as it was a case of Dave showing up, although he could only do so when Klaus was sober. He’d been practicing trying to reach Dave but whatever he was doing wasn’t working. It didn’t work like that with the ghosts it seemed, they needed to want to come to him. Useless bloody power.</p><p>So why the fuck wasn’t Dave coming to him now? He needed him. Why wasn’t he here? </p><p>Nathan’s looking at Klaus’ shoulder.</p><p>“Fuck man, what did they do there?”</p><p>“Steak knife,” Klaus mutters. The movement of the ropes is jostling his shoulder and reminding him how raw the wound is. He can feel the air shifting from Nathan’s movements against the raw nerve endings. </p><p>How is he going to get Nathan’s body out of here?</p><p>His movements stop suddenly, his eyes wide. </p><p>“Klaus!” Nathan shouts desperately. “I’m slipping!”</p><p>Nathan’s looking less solid and more like the blueish ghosts that haunt Klaus’ days.</p><p>“Hurry up!” Klaus urges, flapping his one free hand. </p><p>Nathan nods, moving much more quickly. The blade chews through the rope. Finally, Klaus feels the release of Nathan’s body falling away from his own. He pitches forward with the sudden loss of weight.</p><p>“I can’t hold on!” Nathan calls desperately, dropping the machete to the ground. He’s flickering. He reaches out to Klaus.</p><p>Klaus looks into his matching green eyes. He smiles at his brother, the other half he never knew he had.</p><p>“Nathan, come back to me yeah? Come back.”</p><p>Nathan disappears before he gets a chance to reply. </p><p>Klaus is breathing hard, alone again. </p><p>He takes a deep, shuddering breath and looks around. The machete is too far away, but he’s free of the chair apart from his right wrist. He gingerly lifts his <i>goodbye</i> hand to find the end of the tape, wincing at the sting in his shoulder. Biting his lip, he pulls at the tape, yanking at it until finally he is free. </p><p>He tips forward out of the chair, just hanging on with his good arm before his face hits the concrete. He lands on his hip instead. He’s wearing his skinny black shimmery leggings. His tank was cut to ribbons by Cha Cha’s knives. He still has Dave’s dog tags though. </p><p>Crawling on three limbs, Klaus shuffles to the other side of the chairs. </p><p>Nathan’s body has slid down in the chair. Klaus tries to lower him to the floor, but with one arm functional he ends up dropping him. He shoots a hand out to save his head. It lands, sticky and wet in his palm. </p><p>Oh, that’s right. Cha Cha blew his brains out. </p><p>Klaus gags. He clamps his hand over his mouth.</p><p>He can’t afford to empty his stomach right now. There isn’t enough in it to keep him going.</p><p> </p><p>Klaus knows that Nathan is immortal but he also knows that nothing is for certain. Nathan had come back from death twice now, but these things have a limit. Five could time travel until he got stuck in the Apocalypse. Allison could rumor, but not with her throat slit. All powers had weaknesses, limits. </p><p>What if Nathan had met his?</p><p>He turns Nathan’s head so the worst of it isn’t visible. They are both on the floor, Nathan laid out on his back, Klaus slumped next to him. </p><p> </p><p>Klaus has seen a lot of dead bodies. </p><p>There are the ghosts clustered around the room, sallow faces bruised, blood dripping from necks and mouths and deformed skulls.</p><p>He had seen the bodies of the baddies that Ben tore apart, the ones with skulls crushed and knives through the heart. </p><p>Once he had woken up from a horrible trip in an unknown bedroom to find the dealer who had decided to join him in sampling the merchandise collapsed on his shoulder, lips blue. He had been dead for hours. </p><p>Nathan’s corpse doesn't look like any of those bodies. His skin, while still pale, doesn’t have the purple-blue tint that Klaus is used to seeing. He isn’t breathing, but he isn’t <i>still</i> in the way that the dead are. </p><p>And, that bullet hole - is it <i>smaller</i>? He kneels over him, pressing a hand to his chest.</p><p>
  <i>Please Nathan, please.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>The door clangs open again. Klaus’ head snaps up as he prowls in front of Nathan’s body like a panther. </p><p>“How the fuck did you get out?” Hazel snaps, stomping forwards. He’s taken off his tie, sleeves rolled to his elbows. Klaus’s hand grips his brother’s wrist.</p><p>“Got sick of waiting for you two.” </p><p>Hazel grabs him roughly by his good arm and drags him like a naughty child, not letting Klaus find his feet. </p><p>He drags Klaus out the door. Klaus starts to struggle, ignoring the way his body screams in pain. He can’t leave Nathan, what if he wakes up and Klaus isn’t there? </p><p>What if he doesn’t?</p><p>“No! Let me go!” he shrieks. He claws at Hazel’s forearm, wriggling his gangly body. Hazel’s grip slips and Klaus is already moving before he hits the ground, scrambling back down the narrow corridor to the door they just passed through.</p><p>A hand clamps around his skinny ankle and pulls. Klaus desperately tries to find something to grab onto but is helplessly dragged on his tortured chest back to Hazel. The big man hooks an arm around Klaus’ chest and pulls his back flush against his own body. Klaus kicks his legs, yelling as loudly as his tortured throat will allow. </p><p>“What the fuck is going on?”</p><p>Great. The bitch is back.</p><p>“He’s trying to fuck me!” Klaus shouts out. Hazel’s other hand clamps over his mouth. Klaus bites his rough fingers. Hazel shakes his hand out swearing before ploughing it into Klaus’ gut.</p><p>“Why is he out here?” Cha Cha demands. Hazel groans behind Klaus.</p><p>“I dunno! The fucker got free.”</p><p>Cha Cha’s sharp eyebrows arch further.</p><p>“How the fuck did he get free?”</p><p>“You’re asking me? You’re the one who tied him up.”</p><p>Hazel clicks his tongue in exasperation. </p><p>“Whoa, hold up. I know you aren’t trying to blame me for this,” Cha Cha says, one hand on her hip, the other wiggling a pointed finger.</p><p>“I think he is,” Klaus chimes in cheekily, hanging limp from the arm barred across his chest. He’s shining with sweat, but he’s freezing. Before he can think about what that might mean, a force hits the back of his head so hard he can feel it in his sinuses. </p><p>“Why did you bring him out here?” Cha Cha accuses. Klaus looks up at her with watery eyes.</p><p>“I was going to knock him out and lock him in the safe. See if the little fucker can get out of there.”</p><p>Cha Cha thinks about this then shrugs. Her face relaxes, sharp cheekbones lowering slightly. “Alright. It’s not like he’s going to need air anymore. The little shit should find the message by tomorrow. We don’t need this one alive when he gets here.”</p><p>Shit. </p><p>“Is the back-up here yet?” Hazel asks. Cha Cha rolls her eyes. </p><p>“They just arrived. They’re upstairs. I told them we had this handled. I don’t like doing it this way, you know I don’t.”</p><p>She shakes her head, hands on her hips. </p><p>“What can you expect after last time?” Hazel asks, shifting Klaus from one arm to the other like a parent swapping a child to the other hip. Klaus bucks against him, pushing his bony arse into Hazel’s gut but he’s just too strong. He gets a punch to his kidney for his troubles.  </p><p>Cha Cha’s head snaps up, scowling. She throws her hands in the air, half turning away before glaring right at her partner.</p><p>“Oh, don’t you start with this bullshit Hazel.” She sounds so much like Five that Klaus can’t understand why they want to kill each other.</p><p>Or maybe that’s exactly why.</p><p>“That’s not what I meant,” Hazel groans, ignoring Klaus’ whines. “Just - you know what Five’s like. We can’t be too careful. Anyway, wasn’t that the whole reason that we kidnapped these guys? Have the fight on our turf?”</p><p>Cha Cha nods, conceding the point. She looks at Klaus, eyeing him like she’s deciding on a piece of steak at a butcher. </p><p>“We should just kill him now and get it done. He doesn’t know shit.” Cha Cha sounds disappointed.</p><p>Klaus can hear the thud of Hazel’s heart against his back. </p><p>“That isn’t how we usually do it Cha Cha -”</p><p>“Quit being such a little bitch,” Cha Cha spits, pulling her gun out of the holster strapped over her white shirt. She checks the barrel, then clicks it shut. She takes a measured step towards Klaus, brushing his damp hair back. Klaus pulls away, hissing. He kicks his legs out at her, but she jumps away just in time. </p><p>“How are we doing this?” Hazel asks, wrestling the now-wriggling Klaus. </p><p>Cha Cha positions the gun under Klaus’ chin. Klaus throws his head back, clipping Hazel in the chin. He moves his head like a toddler refusing their dinner. Cha Cha can’t get a good position.</p><p>“Fuck it,” she snaps, waving the gun at the ground. “Put him on his knees.”</p><p>Klaus shows off his famous stubbornness by refusing to bend his knees. Hazel twists and pushes and tries to get Klaus to kneel but he isn’t going down without a fight. He kicks his long legs, bucking against the big guy’s strength with sheer wiliness. </p><p>“For fuck’s sake -”</p><p>Hazel lifts Klaus off his feet and throws him face-first into the ground, pinning him there with a knee ground into his back. Klaus cries out from the pain. He tries to push up against the pressure in his back but his shoulder is not co-operating at all. He twists his head but can’t see their faces, his cheek pressed into the cold concrete.</p><p>“Actually, I got a better idea,” Cha Cha muses, sounding a little bit too pleased with herself. Hazel groans.</p><p>“What?” he snaps, clearly fed up. </p><p>“We slit his throat. Let Five find him like that.” She chuckles, happy with her idea. </p><p>“<i>Fine!</i> Just let’s get it over with,” Hazel grumbles.</p><p>Klaus isn’t sure if the little girl will send him back again or if it was a one-time offer. Either way, when he hit his head in that rave, he felt everything. He doesn’t fancy finding out what having your throat slit feels like. </p><p>“Hold his head up,” Cha Cha instructs. He can see her shoes pacing in front of him, looking for a good angle. Hazel’s hand fists into his hair, arching his head back and exposing the bruised flesh of his neck. </p><p>“This feels familiar,” Klaus gasps out. “Told you he was trying to have his way with me.”</p><p>Cha Cha kneels next to him, facing the same direction as Klaus. She brings her arm around the back of his neck, pressing the knife into the skin just above his collar bone. All she needs to do is sweep the knife across. </p><p>Klaus is panting hard. He can’t help it, he’s shaking. His eyes are jammed shut, hoping that the girl will send him back. His family can’t find him like this.</p><p>
  <i>But if you don’t come back, maybe you’ll be with Dave?</i>
</p><p> Speaking of Dave, <i>where is he</i>? </p><p>“Dave, if you’re around, now would be a good time to show up,” Klaus calls out to the echoing corridor.</p><p>Cha Cha lifts the pressure on the knife slightly. </p><p>“Who’s Dave?” she demands. Klaus can’t help but let the sappy smile that always slides on his face when he thinks of his army boy with his big arms and strong jaw and kind heart. </p><p>“He’s my boyfriend, and he’s going to be mighty pissed when he finds out what you’ve done. He’s ex-army, so he can hunt you down.”</p><p>Cha Cha scoffs. “He’s bluffing.”  She pressed the knife harder against Klaus’ neck. </p><p>“Just make sure you do it low enough this time,” Hazel says with a hint of disgust. “Last time you sprayed blood everywhere.”</p><p>Cha Cha huffs out a deep groan. Klaus hears her mutter <i>give me strength</i> under her breath. </p><p>She leans into Klaus’ ear, kneeling on one knee.</p><p>“Any last words?” she teases. </p><p>“Don’t fuck a wounded bear.”</p><p>Oh, that sweet, sweet voice. </p><p>There’s a gasp, then a loud oompf before the pressure on Klaus’ back is gone. Cha Cha’s knife is still pressed against his throat. </p><p>“Oh hell no.”</p><p>There’s a cracking sound, then Cha Cha lets out a yelp. She falls to the ground in front of Klaus, holding her side. He looks down. The silver blade of the knife is gleaming on the concrete floor just under his chin. He grabs it and rolls over, scooting away from the pair on his bum using one arm to pull himself along. </p><p>Standing in the corridor in his shredded tank with a crow bar over his shoulder and a wide grin is Nathan. He winks at Klaus.</p><p>“How the <i>fuck</i>?” Hazel gasps, wiping blood from his mouth. Nathan must have hit him with a head shot. </p><p>“I’m immortal, bitches,” he declares proudly. He swings the crow bar around. </p><p>He drops it. It clatters loudly against the concrete. He bends over quickly to pick it up, glancing around to see if anyone noticed.</p><p>“Course he’s fucking immortal,” Hazel grumbles. Klaus is starting to get the impression that Hazel’s job satisfaction is quite low now days. </p><p>Movement catches Klaus’ eye when he sees Cha Cha reach for her gun. </p><p>“Nathan!” Klaus calls out, jumping to his feet. Nathan’s eyes widen as he grabs his brother’s arm and hauls him through a red door at the other end of the corridor. </p><p>It opens to a stairwell that seems to have served as a fire escape. It’s not very well lit, but there’s enough light to see that it goes up at least ten floors. The pair scurry up the first two flights before the door bangs open again.</p><p>“Run!” Nathan yells unnecessarily, pushing Klaus along in front of him. Being brought back to life has healed most of his injuries, but Klaus can hear the limp in his uneven gait. </p><p>Klaus chances a look over the railing to the floors below and sees Cha Cha pointing a gun at him. He ducks back against the wall, pulling Nathan with him. </p><p>There’s no bang.</p><p>“Shiiit!”</p><p>Klaus peeks back over to see Cha Cha smashing the gun against the railing. </p><p>Nathan must have hit it in the holster when he clobbered her with the crow bar.</p><p>“Quick!” Klaus urges, pulling Nathan up the stairs. They’re both panting as they stumble up another flight. Klaus sees a door on the next landing with a peeling “E” painted on it.</p><p>“This way,” he says, flinging the door open with his good arm. Nathan follows him. Klaus slams the door shut and snatches the crowbar, threading it through the door handle. That should keep Cha Cha out of the way for now.</p><p>They stumble into a sort of boxed-off corridor. There’s a pair of wooden doors that Klaus recognises as an old style lift. The garish maroon carpet has been lifted in one corner, grey dust scattered over it and dulling the colour. Nathan strides forward to the door at the other end of the small corridor that used to have a glass panel. The shards are scattered on the ground, glinting in the low light of the few round lamps on the walls that are working. </p><p>“Wait,” Klaus hisses, grabbing the loop at the back of Nathan’s jeans. “They said something about back up.”</p><p>Klaus creeps forward and opens the door a crack, peering through the gap. </p><p>There’s a large, open area. Papers are scattered over the carpet that continues through the space. Grey daylight fades through a series of grand arched windows along one wall, some of which still have glass. Scrawled words are graffitied over the peeling wallpaper, colours layered over time. </p><p>Klaus pushes the door open further and slips silently through the gap, holding it open for Nathan to follow. His eyes wander around the space, taking in the upturned once-grand furniture and the long wooden counter with panels hacked out of it running down one side.</p><p>“It’s a hotel lobby,” Klaus breathes out, fingers trailing over the curve of a grand piano, it’s dismembered lid cracked in half on the floor. </p><p>There’s the sound of gunshots in rapid succession - semi automatic fire. Klaus drops to the floor, hands pressed over his ears. </p><p>He has to return fire. </p><p>
  <i>Where is his gun?</i>
</p><p>His hands scramble through the twigs and knots of the jungle tree roots to search for his weapon. There’s yelling, then more fire. He needs his gun. </p><p>It’s so <i>hot</i>. Klaus can feel the sweat drip down the back of his neck. The acrid smoke stings his eyes. </p><p>He has to find his gun. <i>Where did he leave it?</i> Sarge will kill him if he’s left it behind. </p><p>“Klaus!”</p><p>“Hang on, I’ve got it, I swear I’ve got it.”</p><p>“Klaus!” </p><p>A shiver shudders through his body as the cold air of the hotel lobby replaces the hot jungle sun. He jams his eyes closed as he lets his senses catch up. The scratch of the dusty carpet against his chest. The warm hands on his cheeks. The sting in his shoulder. He opens his eyes and drops his hands from his ears. </p><p>Nathan’s face is only an inch from his own. His eyes are wide, searching each of Klaus’ back and forth. </p><p>“Hey, you with me?”</p><p>Klaus nods, feeling suddenly foolish. He takes a shuddering breath.</p><p>“It’s okay, you’re here. Well, maybe not so okay, but we will be.”</p><p>They are hidden behind a snapped-off piece of the piano lid. Klaus rolls into a sitting position beside Nathan, drawing one knee up to his chest. He grasps the dogs tags in his hand.</p><p>“What’s going on,” Klaus asks, desperate to change the subject. Gunfire rings out again. Klaus jumps. Nathan flicks him in the ear.</p><p>“Ow! What the fuck was that for?” Klaus hisses, rubbing his ear. </p><p>“To keep you here and not let you go <i>there</i>,” Nathan replies matter-of-factly. </p><p>Klaus sags. </p><p>“Thanks.” He runs a hand over his face, scrubbing away the emotion that’s threatening to burst through.</p><p>“What’s happening?”</p><p>“I dunno. There’s like these guys in black suits with gas masks, I’ve seen a couple run past the front doors into the room next door. They’re the ones with the fancy guns. I don’t know what they’re shooting at though.”</p><p>The Commission soldiers then. They needed to get out of here and warn Five.</p><p>“Well, while they’re distracted, how about we try for those front doors?”</p><p>Nathan nods. </p><p>They creep forward, darting one at a time behind an upturned couch that looks exactly like one of the lounges back at the Academy. Klaus runs from the couch to duck under a desk near the front door, motioning back at Nathan to follow. </p><p>More gunfire. This time, it’s close.</p><p>He peeks a glance over the desk into the room that Nathan said the guys in black ran into. He can see the flash of the machine gun in the dark room. A knock to his elbow tells him that Nathan has joined him behind the desk. </p><p>“What are they shooting at?” Nathan hisses. </p><p>A black clad soldier bursts through the doorway with a cry, falling right in front of Nathan and Klaus. He slumps to the ground, still and unmoving. </p><p>There’s a knife sticking out of his neck. </p><p>A very familiar knife.</p><p>“Oh <i>shit</i>.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Where the hell are you Dave?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What's going on behind the dark doorway?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Klaus watches as the ghost of the soldier pulls himself into a standing position before spotting him and Nathan. </p><p>He lifts his arm to point at them with a quivering finger before cocking his head to talk into a walkie talkie strapped to his shoulder. </p><p>“Four-one-five, I have two more, repeat, I have two more near exit number one. Do you copy?” His voice is muffled by the gas mask, but the shake in it is still noticeable.</p><p>It’s hard to tell with his red rimmed goggles and the mask, but he looks confused as he taps the receiver on his shoulder.</p><p>Klaus edges out from under the desk</p><p>“Um, buddy, sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you’re dead.”</p><p>The ghost’s head snaps up at him. Klaus decides that the round goggles are actually kind of freaky.</p><p>"Four-five-one, this is eight-one-nine. Request back up at exit one."</p><p>Klaus rolls his eyes. "You can request a cocktail and a lap dance and they still won't hear you," he mutters under his breath. </p><p>Nathan looks at him quizzically, one eyebrow arched before his mouth opens into a wide "O". </p><p>"It's the ghost," Nathan whispers reverently, looking at a space two meters to the left of it as if expecting to see it. He’s gone, creeping back through the dark, grand doorway on his mission for back up. </p><p>Klaus reaches forward over the body and yanks the knife out of the dead soldier's neck with a horrid squelch that makes Nathan wince. He wipes it on the dusty carpet and holds it out to Nathan while he reaches for the gun. </p><p>"What the fuck am I meant to do with that?" Nathan hisses, pointing at the six inch long blade. </p><p>"Well I can't take it. I haven't got any pockets!" Klaus sticks out his arse to make his point. Nathan clicks his tongue.</p><p>"You can just hold it, I want the gun," he whines. Klaus ignores him and shoves the knife into Nathan’s chest, distracted with checking the rifle's ammunition. </p><p>"Sure, give the gun to the kid who couldn't even hit a tin can at a fair." </p><p>Nathan scrunches up his face. </p><p>"Like you'd be any better." </p><p>Klaus gives Nathan a wink. </p><p>"I guess you'll just have to wait and see." Klaus thrusts a flare that he found in the soldier's jacket into Nathan's chest. "Hold that for me sweetheart. Can't really shove it down my pants and have them thinking I'm excited to see them. Dave would be jealous."</p><p>Speaking of Klaus' missing ghostly boyfriend, he thinks it would be good if he showed up sometime soon. Nevermind, they were handing the situation fine themselves. Nathan only died once and Klaus still has three functional limbs. </p><p>"Hey," Nathan asks, studying the blade in his hand. "Isn't this one of -"</p><p>"Diego's. Yep."</p><p>Nathan watches Klaus reload the rifle with deft hands. </p><p>"Your siblings are in there, aren't they?"</p><p>"Yep."</p><p>Klaus rolls the soldier onto his back and pulls a spare round of ammo out of his front jacket pocket. He sticks it down the back of his leggings. What is it with women's clothes and a lack of pockets?</p><p>"We aren't going to run for the exit and escape are we?"</p><p>"Nope."</p><p>Klaus stands up, rifle slung over his shoulder. His eyeliner is smeared in a parody of war paint over his cheekbones, bruises making up the rest of the colour on his face. His bare chest is glossy with sweat and blood streaked all the way down to his <i>Klaus loves Dave</i> tattoo on his stomach.</p><p>"Let's go loco," Klaus says, flashing Nathan a wicked grin. Nathan nods, standing up next to him. He puffs his chest out and holds out Diego's knife. </p><p>The boys creep through the open doorway into the darkened room. They keep their backs to the wall, letting their eyes adjust to the low light coming through the boarded up windows. </p><p>A blue flash at the other end of the long room captures their attention. They duck behind an upturned cocktail table, the furniture barely providing any cover. From his crouched position Klaus can see the circular bar in the centre of the room, the brass embellishments long ago having turned spotted and green. </p><p>The <i>kacka kacka kacka</i> of machine gun fire erupts through the silence, the flash of live fire lighting up the bar top. Klaus traces the line of fire back to the balcony overlooking the grandiose bar. He aims the rifle awkwardly, trying to position it so he doesn't have it butting up against his wound. </p><p>Breathe in. </p><p>He sees the soldier in the rifle's sight. </p><p>Breathe out. </p><p>The kick back on the rifle is worse than he expects. He knows he's hit the target when he sees the dark shape in the distance fall over the balcony, but sprays the rest of the round. </p><p>He slumps back against Nathan, shoulder pulsing with pain. </p><p>"Holy shit! You got him." </p><p>Klaus rolls his eyes lazily towards Nathan. He gives him a cocky grin.</p><p>"Dave was always very impressed with my skills handling his gun." </p><p>Nathan groans, taking a peek over the table. </p><p>"I'm sure he was."</p><p>Klaus pushed his brother along, shunting him towards a stack of wine crates opposite the balcony.. It won’t take the soldiers long to work out where the bullets came from.</p><p>Sure enough, gun fire erupts behind them, piercing through the cocktail table. Klaus pulls Nathan behind him and fires off a return round, hitting the shooter on the balcony with the second shot. The black uniformed soldier slumps against a pillar. </p><p>Klaus peeks out from behind the crates. The room is large and long, probably the hotel bar back when the hotel was operational. Dusty, stained drop sheets hang over items scattered around the room like ghosts. Broken crates are lined up along the back wall. The balcony runs the length of the room down the opposite side to where Klaus and Nathan are crouched. There are chairs and tables stacked up haphazardly, some against the walls, some just left around the room. </p><p>In other words, plenty of places to hide.</p><p>“How many of them do you think there are?” Nathan whispers, leaning right into Klaus’ ear. He’s huddled close, almost in his brother’s lap. Klaus shrugs and holds up ten fingers, then another two before holding out his open hands to signal that he really has no idea. Nathan grimaces. </p><p>More gunfire interrupts their silent conversation. This time, instead of coming from the balcony and aiming at the bar, the gun fire is coming from the square pillar just a few metres in front of them and aimed at what looks to be a stack of chairs housed under the balcony. He’d bet that his siblings are either stuck crouched inside the circular bar or behind those chairs, or both. He peers into the shadows of the pillar and can just see the red-orange lights of the soldier’s masks. </p><p>Klaus taps Nathan on the shoulder and points at them, holding two fingers up. He then points to himself and Nathan, holding two fingers up and nodding. </p><p>Nathan looks at him blankly.</p><p>Klaus rolls his eyes, repeating the motions more vigorously. </p><p>Nathan squints at him and holds his palms out, shrugging.</p><p>The soldiers open fire again. </p><p>Klaus grabs Nathan by his tatty tank top and hauls his brother after him as he runs at the soldiers.</p><p>There’s only one move for a situation like this. </p><p>Klaus jumps on the nearest soldier’s back, grabbing for his rifle with one hand while ripping the walkie talkie off his shoulder with the other. </p><p>Thankfully, Nathan takes Klaus’ lead and does the same. </p><p>Klaus has a hand on the rifle but the soldier he’s jumped on is spinning, trying to flip him off his back. He’s trying not to yell out, not wanting to draw more soldiers to them. The soldier is trying to call for help, but with his walkie talkie gone and the mask muffling his voice, he’s soon drowned out by more machine gun fire. </p><p>He looks over at Nathan just in time to see his soldier flip him over his shoulder. Klaus is distracted as Nathan is flung into the pillar, sliding into a collapsed heap at its base. </p><p>Klaus’ soldier takes the opportunity. He hits him in the chin with the butt of his rifle. Klaus loses his grip on the soldier’s shoulder with the hit, but hangs onto the rifle. They tumble to the ground, Klaus landing on his back as the rifle skitters out of his hand. He winces at the sting in his shoulder.</p><p>His eyes shoot open at the cocking of a rifle. Nathan’s soldier is pointing the barrel in his face. Klaus glances at Nathan who is on his right side, still crumpled on the floor. </p><p> </p><p>He’d be pretty desperate if it wasn’t for the tingling in his hands. He can feel the cool blue glow without even looking at them. His fingers find the rifle on the carpet next to him. </p><p>The soldier ducks behind the sight of his weapon and braces.</p><p>Klaus’ hand closes over the barrel of the rifle next to him.</p><p>He throws the rifle into the space behind the soldier. </p><p>The soldier startles, just for a second. </p><p>A second is all he needs. </p><p>Dave catches the rifle, aiming it at the back of the soldier’s head and firing with one movement. The soldier falls sideways, landing on top of Nathan. Dave swings around to aim at the soldier Klaus has wrestled to the ground and fires again. </p><p>“Alright soldier?” Dave asks with a sparkling wink, holding out his hand. Klaus takes it, allowing himself to be hauled up and into Dave’s arms. He nuzzles into his chest as Dave wraps a strong arm around him. Klaus lets the bowstring tight tension in his muscles relax slightly before pushing away from his ghostly-boyfriend.</p><p>“Where the <i>hell</i> have you been?” he hisses, slapping at Dave’s rock-hard chest. Dave purses his lips, looking at Klaus like an impudent child. Even though they are the same height, Klaus swears he’s looking down at him.</p><p>“Trying to save your behind, that’s where.” Dave cups Klaus’ bruised face in his hand. Klaus can’t help but lean into the touch. He hates when Dave won’t let him be angry. </p><p>“Where were you? When Hazel and Cha Cha . . .” Klaus swallows thickly. The rush of emotion that he’d been holding back is surging through him like an angry ocean. Dave <i>abandoned him</i>. When Klaus had needed him the most, when Hazel and Cha Cha were digging into his skin and cutting off his air, when he was alone in the dark with his dead brother, when he was back in the jungles of Vietnam . . .</p><p>When he asks again, the sting of bitterness haunts his voice.</p><p>“Where were you?”</p><p>“Oh, Klaus, baby.” Dave takes his face in both hands. His cold skin is soothing against his aching skin. Dave lowers his head, ducking until he’s in Klaus’ line of sight, despite his attempts to avoid his gaze. </p><p>“Klaus, look at me. There was nothing I could do -”</p><p>Klaus scoffs, pulling away from Dave’s hold, but his boyfriend follows.</p><p>“Shh, Klaus, that’s not what I meant. I knew you couldn’t make me solid with the sedatives in your system, so I went to find help.”</p><p>Klaus’ eyes snap open. “Help?”</p><p>“Even if you could see me, I couldn’t save you. I couldn’t touch you, I couldn’t do anything.” Dave pauses, looking away. Klaus is sure he hears a sniff before Dave looks back at him. </p><p>“So I found some people who could. People who would do anything to save you.”</p><p>Klaus’ eyebrow arches.</p><p>The Umbrella siblings had been doing better since London. They’d been trying to be a family, to treat each other better, but after all that hurt it was still hard to believe that his siblings would jump to rescue him, no questions asked.</p><p>Dave gives him a knowing smile. </p><p>“Klaus, they were out the door before I even finished the message. Five threatened to cut the taxi driver’s balls off if he didn’t drive at least ten miles over the speed limit, and he said it <i>in German</i>.” Dave looks mildly traumatised. </p><p>“Maybe if you spent less time thinking about my behind and more time using that brain you would have realised that my siblings are better at getting into trouble than getting out of it. Besides, I’m like a cat. Nine lives and everything.” Klaus almost purrs as he rests his head into the crook of Dave’s neck, nuzzling in. Dave rests a hand on Klaus’ neck, sliding it down to his shoulder. The injured man winces, pulling away with a hiss.</p><p>Dave holds Klaus still by his arms, investigating the wound. It's feeling too warm, he knows it must be infected by now. He doesn't want to think about how much it's going to hurt to clean. Klaus tries to swat his overprotective boyfriend away but Dave holds him still. He can feel his eyes as they drag over the bruises on his neck, the blood mixing with the burns on his ribs.</p><p>Klaus has always loved the honey-tone of Dave’s voice. His smooth slow drawl whether he’s exasperated at Klaus’ antics or whispering sweet-nothings that make Klaus blush usually makes him weak at the knees. </p><p>When Dave finally speaks, his voice is as pitch-black as the dark Klaus is afraid of.</p><p>“Which one did this?” he asks seriously. </p><p>“Um, Hazel did -” Klaus motions to his neck vaguely, his hand dropping away when he sees the blue fire in Dave’s eyes. </p><p>“And the other one?”</p><p>“Yeah . . . the rest.” Klaus runs the hand of his good arm through his hair and tries a smile. </p><p>“I didn’t get it as bad as Nathan. They actually killed him!”</p><p>He points to his brother who is slowly coming around, rubbing the back of his head. He looks worse than the morning after their first night partying in Amsterdam. Klaus had been a good boy. Nathan had not. </p><p>Klaus picks the other rifle up on the ground and slings it over his shoulder while Dave hauls an unsteady Nathan to his feet. His twin grins at him sloppily. </p><p>“Dave! Good to see you man -”</p><p>Klaus clamps a hand over his brother’s mouth to silence him. He holds a finger to his own mouth, waiting until Nathan nods before releasing him. Klaus turns back to Dave. The fire hasn’t left his eyes. It sends a little chill down Klaus’ back, which he can’t help but feel surge straight to the pit of his stomach where the butterflies live on its way further south into his pants. He loops his arm through Dave’s and pats his <i>173rd Airborne</i> tattoo. </p><p>Gunfire erupts through the silence, lighting up the dark bar. </p><p>“C’mon, let’s go save my siblings.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yay, he's back! Look out Hazel and Cha Cha, you've upset our sweet Dave. </p><p>Don't worry Umbrella kids, the best of the 173rd are coming for you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The siblings realise are one short.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Five had never wanted to go to the fair in the first place. His stupid, pale, Irish half-brother wore him down with his incessant begging, and his stunt barging into the toilet (it would be a long time before he could look Vanya in the eye again). </p>
<p>It’s not that he wanted to say I told you so when they first noticed that something was wrong - it was just that he was right, as always.  </p>
<p>“I told you so.”</p>
<p>They first realised Klaus and Nathan were missing after the midnight fireworks when Ben had started to fret about Klaus missing the show. He had been going on about how Klaus would never miss fireworks and how it was really weird that he hadn’t met up with Ben to watch them with. At first, the others had all exchanged knowing glances. It was no secret that Klaus and Nathan had been growing closer since finding out about their twinship. While Klaus still put a concerted effort into his bond with his ex-ghostly brother, his time was now split between Ben <i>and</i> Nathan. Vanya had apparently tried to talk to Ben about how he was going with the adjustment, but he had just told her everything was fine. </p>
<p>Therefore, it was natural for the other siblings to come to the conclusion that Klaus had just run off somewhere with his doppelganger, distracted by something bright and shiny. </p>
<p>Luther was digging into his fourth serve of Currywurst, poking the tiny fork into the sausage as delicately as his big hands could manage. He no longer had his gorilla body, but he was still on the big side of huge. They were standing next to the silent disco. It had been Ben’s idea to look there. </p>
<p>“Maybe they’re racing each other on the giant slide?” Diego said, twirling the glitter stick he’d won throwing darts like it was one of his knives.</p>
<p>“Or maybe they’re in the jumping castle,” Allison suggested.</p>
<p>“Isn’t that for kids?” Vanya had asked. She exchanged a look with Allison. “Or maybe they’re in the jumping castle.”</p>
<p>Had it been four weeks earlier back in London, Five would have bet on Delores’ life that Klaus was high out of his mind in a dark corner of Berlin looking for trouble in the way of some guy that was no good for him, but apparently the Hargreeves weren’t doing that “not trusting Klaus” thing anymore. Something to do with supporting each other and being better siblings. </p>
<p>Pfft. </p>
<p>They should have listened to Five. </p>
<p>Well, maybe Five wasn’t completely right either. </p>
<p>They probably should have listened to Ben.</p>
<p>They were standing outside the front entrance of the fair on the way to the train station. The last few drunk stragglers were staggering out of the park. A pair of incredibly tall guys were shouting their way through <i>Angels</i> by Robbie Williams. </p>
<p>Ben was hopping from foot to foot, wringing his hands, eyes darting around the fairground searching desperately while saying the same thing over and over.</p>
<p>“He promised to meet me for the fireworks.”</p>
<p>Five couldn’t understand how someone who had been let down by his brother over and over for the last thirteen years could have such unflappable faith in him.  </p>
<p>Then Diego started.</p>
<p>“It is a bit weird. He’s been clean for a month yeah?”</p>
<p>Luther quickly joined in.</p>
<p>“Yeah, four weeks.” Luther was taking his “turning over a new leaf” thing very seriously. He had been taking Klaus’ side in every argument to make up for his jerk behaviour in London, which had led him to arguing with Diego that there was a sixth Spice Girl called Chili Spice. It took Allison <i>and</i> Five to break up the punch-on.</p>
<p>Vanya was worried when they started to turn off the brightly coloured festoon lights criss-crossed around the trees.</p>
<p>“He doesn’t like the dark. He should be back by now.”</p>
<p>They decided to do another lap, you know, just in case.</p>
<p>Allison got worried when she found the guy packing up the waffle stand and asked him if he had seen Klaus. Although there had been thousands of people at the fair, Allison was pretty sure very few of them were six foot tall guys wearing technicolour leggings with a silver lame tank top with a black fraggle coat and glitter makeup to match.</p>
<p>The guy had seen him walk past the stand earlier in the night with the rest of the gang. Klaus had bounded over to the stand like an eager puppy dog, but Ben warned him not to eat waffles before he went on the rides. He had vowed solemnly to return after his date with the Gravitron. Nathan pushed him away towards the brightly coloured ride and that was the last the siblings saw of them.<br/>At two in the morning when they had no other choice but to head back to the hostel, Five had to admit he was starting to get worried. </p>
<p>It was either that or the extra large coffee he’d had on the way home that had stopped him from sleeping that night. From the rustling coming from the other bunks in the dorm, he wasn’t the only one, but with a city the size of Berlin and no idea where Klaus and Nathan could have gone, they didn’t have any idea where to look for him. </p>
<p>Ben had refused to go inside the hostel, instead sitting outside on the steps in case Klaus came back. </p>
<p>At four in the morning Diego got dressed and strapped on his knife belt to take a look around. Luther went with him. </p>
<p>They came back four hours later with a pale-looking Ben and no green-eyed twins. </p>
<p>“Something’s wrong,” Ben said, pacing up and down the cheap scandi-inspired dorm. Diego slapped his hand on the door frame. He looked back over his shoulder, his face grimacing.</p>
<p>“You don’t think it’s those, you know, the ones that shot up the house.”</p>
<p>“Who, the Commission?” Five had asked incredulously. </p>
<p>The fact was that Diego had just voiced the exact same fear that had been racing around Five’s head all night. </p>
<p>Maybe they weren’t the only ones that survived the Apocalypse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was Ben who first sensed him. It made sense, given his non-alive status over the last thirteen years. They were in the dorm room huddled around a tourist map of Berlin, working out places to start looking. </p>
<p>“There’s someone else here.”</p>
<p>The siblings looked around. </p>
<p>“It’s just us Ben,” Luther reassured, although he sounded a little unnerved. Five could understand why. There was no other way to describe it, it just felt like a <i>presence</i>.</p>
<p>Then the map glowed blue. Well, to be specific, not the whole map. It started as a blue glow that narrowed into a pinprick in one spot. Ben snatched the map up and pointed to the spot in East Berlin. </p>
<p>“There! On the corner of Hans-Otto-Stra-sah,” he tried, sounding out the words. “He’s there! We have to go!” Ben was on his feet and had the door open before he’d even finished the sentence. </p>
<p>“Whoa now, hang on a minute,” Luther had said, holding his huge hands out. “We can’t just run off to some place just because a map glowed blue. It could be a trap - we don’t even know what’s going on here.”</p>
<p>“What, you still think Klaus is off getting drunk somewhere? That he’d leave without even saying a word?”</p>
<p>There was a dangerous fire in Ben’s dark eyes. Five swore that he could hear a faint growl. He had been Klaus’ protector for years without being able to actually do anything when he got into trouble. Now that he was back in the land of the living, that protective nature had intensified ten-fold.</p>
<p>Allison sighed. “I know that he’s doing better, but we need to keep an open mind about all the possibilities. You can’t say it would be unlike him to disappear for a day.”</p>
<p>Diego cut Ben off with an outstretched arm and stepped forward. “Maybe <i>before</i>, but not now. I’m with Ben. Something’s wrong.”</p>
<p>“What’s with the glowy thing though?” Vanya asked, pointing to the map that had returned to normal. </p>
<p>Ben shrugged, talking in a hurry. “Klaus’ hands glow blue when he uses his powers. Maybe he’s sending a message. Maybe it’s a ghost helping him. Who cares?” </p>
<p>“Since when do the ghosts help him? Aren’t they all, like, kinda psycho?” Allison asked, before quickly adding, “I mean, all of them except you, well, when you <i>were</i> a ghost . . .” </p>
<p>Thankfully, Allison stopped back pedalling. </p>
<p>“What if it’s like before, in London? What if there’s a ghost using his power to lure us into a trap?” Luther asked.</p>
<p>Five shook his head, standing up from where he was perched on the end of a bed. </p>
<p>“He’s stronger now. He’s been clean. We know he’s been practicing since London.”</p>
<p>Five had drawn up a strict training regime for Klaus since London to help him get better control of his powers. His brother, who had never willingingly applied any structure to his life, had made his displeasure well known at the time, but to his credit he gave everything Five had suggested a go. Over the last month, that had included everything from getting Klaus to try and meditate while sitting on a bench at the intersection of Oxford Circus and Regent Street to having him make the fairly innocuous ghost of a Dutch jazz singer corporeal in Amsterdam. His training had stumbled once they arrived in Berlin which Five later found out was due to the sheer number of ghosts in the haunted city, but Klaus still tried. He even agreed to go on a bike history tour of Berlin which Vanya had wanted to do so that the family could all spend some time together. After the tour company found a bike almost big enough for Luther and Nathan’s handlebars were fixed from his failed attempt to ride down a short set of stairs, the day had started out pretty well. </p>
<p>It wasn’t long until the cracks had started to show. Ben noticed first, as always. Klaus had barely been speaking, instead giving his tight smile and insisting he was fine when Ben asked. When the guides led them to the Memorial for the Murdered Jews, Klaus had paled several shades. But it was at the Benderblock Courtyard, the tall grey buildings closing them in as the guides told the haunting tale of the executions that had taken place during Nazi times that Klaus really started to lose control. The Courtyard had an eerie feeling as it was without the chill that Five was pretty sure Klaus was creating. Ben was at his side in an instant, Nathan on the other, guiding their shaking brother out of the space. They managed to get him into the beautiful surroundings of the Tiergarten by the time the panic attack had taken hold, leaving Luther and the girls to take the bikes back to the tour company. </p>
<p>They sat Klaus down on the grass, Ben pulling his arm away from where it was wrapped tightly around his knees to thread Klaus’ fingers between the blades, whispering steadily in his ear. Nathan crouched next to them, watching intently as Ben calmed his brother down. Five could only imagine how much harder it had been for Ben before he was able to touch Klaus. Diego and Five stood on either side like guard dogs, sneering at the passers-by who gawked at their brother, tucked in a tight, trembling ball on the ground. </p>
<p>He had refused to talk about it, even after he finally calmed down, but Five didn’t need much of an imagination to figure out what Klaus had been seeing. People tortured for their culture out of hatred. Those that tried to stand up to a murderous regime only to be brutally beaten and executed. People like Klaus, killed for being different.</p>
<p>And that was just the victims. </p>
<p>He couldn’t imagine how it would feel to be able to hear the ghosts of those carrying around their guilt, the things they might say.</p>
<p>“He’s not perfect, he’s got a long way to go to control his powers that he’s pushed away for thirty years, but I don’t think the ghosts can just tap into his powers anymore.”</p>
<p>He digs his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels before looking up at his siblings.</p>
<p>“Except for one.”</p>
<p>“<i>Dave</i>,” Diego and Luther said at the same time.</p>
<p>“Let’s go then,” Allison said surprisingly, tugging on her jacket.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Just under an hour later, Five is jumping Luther past a side door to a once-regal abandoned hotel in East Berlin so that his brother can break open the chain and let their other four siblings into the building to save Klaus and Nathan from God knows who (well, FIve has a pretty good feeling who but doesn’t want to acknowledge that feeling just yet).</p>
<p>Five has two hand guns stashed in his pockets. He would have liked his old rifle, but the hand guns were all he could get away with stealing back in London. It had taken some fancy flash work to skip them through customs coming into the EU. </p>
<p>Diego is armed to the teeth, almost glittering with his impressive collection of knives. The others don’t need weapons. Their anger at finding whoever has their brother is enough. </p>
<p>The door opens into a storeroom filled with broken wine crates, bottles of spirits with yellowing labels stacked along a collapsed set of wooden shelves and the offensive stench of old beer. The only light comes from a hole in the stone where it meets the frame of the external door. Luther uses his strength to heave open a heavy wooden door before Five flashes in front of him to lead the group out. </p>
<p>The next room is open and large but that isn’t what catches Five’s attention. It’s the dozen  Commission soldiers huddled around the pool table, studying what Five notices is a schematics diagram. </p>
<p>Five freezes, holding out his arms to shield his siblings. </p>
<p>The soldiers look up.</p>
<p>Luther pushes him aside, annoyingly being much more effective at shielding the others.</p>
<p>“Get cover!” Five yells out, pushing the person behind him. The soft leather jacket tells him that it’s Ben. He looks up to see Allison grab Vanya and haul her under a balcony behind a stack of chairs. Diego follows behind them just as the gun fire starts. Five grabs Ben and flashes him behind the circular bar in the middle of the room. Luther picks up a stack of chairs and throws them at a cluster of soldiers firing at where Allison, Vanya and Diego are hiding before taking cover behind a pillar a few meters away from them, also under the balcony.</p>
<p>Five pops his head out over the bar and fires at a soldier who he can just get a clear shot at under the pool table. He hears him cry out before more machine gun fire sends him ducking under the bar. The bullets bounce off the marble bar loudly. Ben is covering his ears. Five sticks his head up again when a bullet whistles past his ear, causing him to crash back to the ground. That bullet sounded like it came from higher up. </p>
<p>The balcony. </p>
<p>He looks over to Ben who gives him a wide-eyed look back.</p>
<p>Fuck. </p>
<p>He has to think. Luther is useless against this much fire power. If he could get behind a few of the soldiers he could do some damage, but being ambushed like this he’s as useful as tits on a bull. The cries of pain punctuating the start-stop gun fire tells Five that Diego is doing all he can with his knives, but eventually they’ll run out. Allison can rumour, but only if she can get the whole direction out before they shoot her. Five has no idea how Vanya’s powers will react with all this noise, and isn’t sure he wants to find out. Ben’s tentacles are only as strong as his body - one bullet and he could be as dead as he had been for the last thirteen years. </p>
<p>They’re the Umbrella Academy! They should be able to fight these guys. </p>
<p>Five takes a deep breath and flashes into the fray. </p>
<p>He lands behind the soldiers using the pool table as cover, shooting them before they get the chance to turn around. He doesn’t get to the last one in time before his rifle turns on Five, but he manages to flash away and land on the opposite side of the room, near a large door that seems to lead into a lobby. He doesn’t bother finding cover, relying on his powers to get him out of there. He fires on two more soldiers, but is surprised by a whole extra troupe running into the room in single file, weapons drawn. He fires off two quick rounds before flashing back to the bar. </p>
<p>He’s panting and sweating by the time he lands in Ben’s lap. </p>
<p>“Five! Don’t go back out, there’s just too many!” </p>
<p>Five tips his head back against the shelves under the bench, wincing as the bullets rattle against the bar. </p>
<p>“Shit!” he screams, drowned out by the gunfire. The soldiers didn’t seem like they were expecting them, but it couldn’t be a coincidence that there was a literal army waiting for their arrival. </p>
<p>“Where do you think they’re keeping Klaus?” Ben asks desperately. Five shakes his head. The building looked huge from the outside. He and Nathan could be literally anywhere.</p>
<p>Five flashes up to the balcony, hoping to get a better look at the situation below. He leans over the railing, ready to pull behind the ornate pillar if he needs to. He can’t see Luther, Diego, Allison or Vanya from the angle as they are hiding underneath, but he can see where the soldiers are taking cover. There’s two of them hiding behind a pillar near the main door to the lobby, their red masks making them easy to spot in the dark. Another three are huddled behind a stack of stools, two more are now positioned behind that pool table again. He sees some movement along the back wall when there’s the crack of a rifle too close to his ears. He dives for cover as a black clad body falls over the railing like a rag doll. Five pulls himself close to the pillar, dragging his knees in just in case there are more soldiers up on the balcony.</p>
<p>There’s more gun fire, so loud that Five jams his eyes closed. When he opens them, there’s a soldier further down the balcony, slumped against the pillar. One of their soldiers.</p>
<p>Someone is firing back. Maybe it’s Diego, maybe he’s found a gun? Five can’t see in the dark where the bullets came from. Five lies on his stomach to peek through the brass railing, twisted in an intricate pattern. There’s more gun shots from that pillar near the main door. Five can see the flashes from the gun. </p>
<p>He almost misses the third soldier taking position aiming his gun off the balcony. The soldier hasn’t seen him. </p>
<p>If it is Diego or Allison down there shooting, he’s not going to let the soldier fire.</p>
<p>He takes a run up and tackles the soldier, knocking the gun free. Five spills to the floor with the soldier, rolling on his shoulder. He scrambles quickly to his feet just as the soldier reaches out for the gun. </p>
<p>He flashes away without thinking. </p>
<p>He lands on the bottom floor, but not behind the safety of the bar. </p>
<p>He’s in the open, caught between the alcove under the balcony where he can see his four siblings still hiding behind the chair stacks and the bar.</p>
<p>
  <i>Four siblings?</i>
</p>
<p>Then <i>who was shooting</i>? Ben?</p>
<p>Five runs through the bar, flashing and reappearing ten metres ahead to lead the soldiers away from his siblings. He sees the main doors. </p>
<p>It’s him they’re after. If he can lead them out of the bar, the others can get away. Five can flash himself outside the building and they can regroup. </p>
<p>He’s almost at the door when the bite in his hip sends him tumbling to the floor. </p>
<p>Five’s been shot enough times to know he’s been hit. </p>
<p>He can hear the soldiers shouting to each other, closing in.</p>
<p>He drags himself to his feet and flashes. </p>
<p>He hasn’t moved.</p>
<p>He pulls against the threads of space again, but nothing’s happening.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Uh - oh. Five's in trouble.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as the ceiling starts to crack, he already knows what’s happening. </p>
<p>Vanya. </p>
<p>There’s too much noise for her powers to be stable, but she just saw Five get shot, and he can just imagine how she must be feeling, because he’d be feeling the same if any of his siblings were in his position. </p>
<p>Dust crumbles into his eyes as he searches the darkness for the soldiers he knows are there, closing in on him standing out in the open. He reaches into his back pocket for the gun he knows is there as he turns around but a hand clamps around his wrist. Another soldier grabs his other arm, yanking it up his back. Five cries out as the action pulls on his bullet wound.</p>
<p>They’ve got him. They wanted him and they’ve got him.</p>
<p>Maybe they’ll let the others go. </p>
<p>He’s already worked it out. They knew he was coming. They were prepared. What was alarming was that the Commission had worked out how to block his powers with a toxin and managed to put it in a bullet.</p>
<p>He can feel the wind pick up. </p>
<p> “We have the target,” one of the soldiers breathes into the walkie talkie. His voice is staticky, muffled by the gas mask. </p>
<p>At first, when the pressure on his right arm releases, he thinks it’s Vanya’s doing, but the loud <i>kacka kacka kacka<i> that bursts in his ears is too familiar to ignore. Another three cracks and the man on the other side lets go as well. Five looks down at the ground. </i></i></p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The soldiers are dead, blood leaking from the small holes in the centre of their red helmets. Five turns around. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Even though he sees him lowering the gun, Five still looks around to see who fired the shots. Because, it <i>couldn’t</i> have been his trainwreck brother.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“What the hell are you doing here?” he hisses at Klaus, who is running up to him, Dave and Nathan trailing behind. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Five had been picturing Klaus helplessly tied up in a basement somewhere, waiting for his siblings to rescue him. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He doesn’t look at all like he needs rescuing.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus has the gun slung over his back, the strap crossed over his bare chest. There’s a ugly hole gouged into his left shoulder, blood streaming through the newly replaced tattoo on his arm, smeared over his chest. He looks <i>nothing</i> like Klaus. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>If Five was asked to describe Klaus, he would use words like flamboyant, skittish, distracted. Not <i>tough</i>, certainly not <i>dangerous</i>, but looking at him right now, that’s all Five can see.     </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Well, except for those tie-dyed leggings. They are truly horrific.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>His bruised face relaxes into a smirk. His dark hair is sticking up all over the place like he’s run styling gel through it, but Five suspects it’s probably blood. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Could ask you the same thing.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>There’s red on his teeth. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>A sting in his hip makes Five stumble forwards. Strong arms wrap around his back and hold him up. Five looks up to see Dave’s reassuring smile. He looks as he always does, wearing his army fatigues and his sparkling, kind eyes.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He understands what Klaus sees in him. Not that he’d ever say so.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“I’ll take him, I’m useless with one of those,” Nathan says as he loops Five’s arm around the back of his neck and holds him around the waist. His fingers find the bullet wound.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Watch it!” Five growls. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Sorry, sorry,” Nathan hisses, moving his hand higher, taking him from Dave. He escorts Five towards the cover of under the balcony. Luther has stepped out from behind the chairs, holding his hand out to take Five from Nathan. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Allison is hugging Vanya tightly, whispering in her ear to calm down. His smaller sister is shaking while the unnatural wind is still whipping through the bar. Five exchanges a meaningful look with Allison. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Vanya's eyes have turned electric white, just like back at the theatre. There’s only one way to bring her back.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>They all freeze when the crack of gun fire starts again. Luther pulls Five behind the chairs while Diego grabs Nathan. Five peers between the gaps. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus is crouched a few metres from the safety of the chairs, firing into the darkness. Pressed against his back is Dave, covering him. They move with the synergy of two men who have done this before. They work together as a team, Dave tapping a series of signals against Klaus’ thigh before they both move to shelter behind an upturned table. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Five looks over to Diego, whose eyes are wide with shock. Luther’s jaw has fallen slack.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Where the <i>hell</i> did Klaus learn to do that?” Diego whispers, watching as his brother downs another soldier. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Looks like he picked up more than just Dave in Vietnam.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>A large chunk of roof falls next to Klaus. Dave pulls him to his chest, shielding him from the smaller rocks that crumble after. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“We have to get out of here,” Luther says, glancing at the main doors. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Ben’s stuck behind the bar,” Five replies, holding a hand over his hip and cursing. They could have used a tranquiliser dart instead of a real bullet. Would have hurt a lot less. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“I’ll get him,” Diego says, darting out from behind the safety of the chairs. Another cloud of dust drops from the ceiling as the floor shakes.  Five spits it out of his mouth and spins around. Allison is still cradling Vanya who is crying, saying the same phrase over and over. Five can't make out what she's saying in her hysterical muttering, but it's getting worse. Nathan swears loudly as he dodges a molding that misses him by a hair's breadth. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"Allison! Rumor her!" Five yells over the wind. Allison shakes her head. "Tell her to calm down!"</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"I can't do it, I can't take her control away again!"</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"Just do that then!" Nathan calls out, weaving himself under Luther's hulk like form to use him as a human shield. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Five and Allison look at each other. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>It just might work. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"Vanya, I heard a rumour that you have control of your powers."</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Five can feel the moment it works. Vanya draws in a deep breath, eyes returning to her normal brown. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The wind vanishes, leaving behind an echoing hum. Five coughs, dislodging the dust from his throat. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Vanya is shaking but she stands up without Allison's help. Luther shoves Nathan away, no longer tolerating his monkey clinging. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Five looks around. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"Where's Diego? And Ben? And Klaus and Dave?"</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>They step out from their hiding place into the remains of the bar. A deep crack is carved into the wall from ceiling to floor. Part of the balcony rail is now hanging to the ground floor. The room is covered in dust and rubble and looks too much like the day Five found his siblings lying in the ruins of the Academy…</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>Stop, stop, stop, don't think about that.</i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i> "You're a hard boy to find, Five."</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Shit. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The five of them turn around. Diego is trapped against Hazel's chest, one of his own knives held to his throat. Next to him, Cha Cha has Ben on his knees. Her gun barrel is buried in the back of his dark hair. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"Get your fucking hands off him!"</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus is dragged forward by two soldiers, struggling against their arms looped under his armpits. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Five exchanges a look with Luther, then with Allison. If his sister can rumor Cha Cha and Luther grabs Hazel...</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"Don't even think about it, Five. One move and I blow this kid's brains out and Hazel guts that one."</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Hazel presses the knife against Diego's throat until the blade colours red. Diego doesn't flinch. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"All we want is to talk to you Five," Cha Cha drawls. Five can hear the murder in her voice. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus lets out a dark chuckle, shaking his head. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“From my experience,” he says, looking up at her through his dark lashes, “your conversation skills leave a lot to be desired.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus’ shoulder is burning so hot that he’s pretty sure he could cook an egg on it. He’s had an infected wound before in Vietnam, a cut to his shin that he couldn’t keep clean and covered marching through the wet jungle grass. He will never forget the smell when Dave had pulled up the leg of his cargo pants to check on it (Dave had made the mistake of asking why Klaus was limping and had blushed furiously at his cheeky response. Really, he should have seen it coming after they snuck off the night before to a dark alcove in the twisted trees). </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>His shoulder is giving off that same acrid smell. Klaus can feel his hair sticking to his head, wet with sweat even though he isn’t wearing a shirt. He was feeling alright earlier, the adrenaline driving him forward, but he can feel it start to wear off, like a drug threatening the low that follows the high. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>So it’s understandable that he’s a bit irritable, and when he’s irritable, he’s snarky. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"Get him over here," Cha Cha demands, baring her teeth at Klaus. The soldier's drag Klaus on his knees towards her. Klaus tries to struggle against them, but he can’t get his feet under him. The assassin nods to another soldier to take her position holding a gun to Ben's head, swapping to stand over Klaus.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Shut up, or your family can watch me kill you,” she says, pressing the cool gun barrel between his eyes. He can hear a whimper to his left. It could be Vanya.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Pfft, seems like a bit of an empty threat to me.” He points towards Nathan, who is still standing next to Luther, chewing his nails. “You shot him and look at him now! Doesn’t look like you did a very good job of --”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The slap of the pistol against his cheek is so loud even Luther winces. Klaus locks eyes with his big brother before slowly turning his head back, tongue darting out to lick the fresh blood. He has a wild grin in his eyes. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>His hands tingle. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus can feel him, pulling on his power. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Cha Cha leans in close, pistol under his jaw.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dave stands behind her, not solid enough for the others to see, but there. He reaches towards the shot gun sticking out of the holster on the soldier holding Ben, his eyes locked on Cha Cha. Those soft blue eyes have always been a place of calm for Klaus. In Vietnam, whenever things were a bit too much, whenever Klaus was struggling to deal with just how many ghosts there were all the time, he could look into those eyes and feel assured that everything was going to be okay. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dave’s eyes are far from calm now. They are narrowed in on Cha Cha, ready to tear her apart. Klaus shifts his head ever so slightly to signal a <i>no</i>, begging Dave with his eyes. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>
      <i>Them first. I’ll be okay.</i>
    </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Klaus -” Dave starts, but their private conversation is interrupted.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Cha Cha seizes his jaw in her sharp nails, turning it roughly towards her.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Stop it!” Diego calls out. Klaus can hear him struggling against Hazel’s grip.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"Did you want some more playtime, junkie? Cos I can get that old knife back and do your other shoulder if you like? Or Hazel here can wring your skinny little neck again --” She throws his face away, standing back up. “Oh, but you like that, don't you?" </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>She kicks Klaus in the stomach, taking the wind out of him as he doubles over, forehead pressed into the carpet. He coughs, clutching at his gut with his good arm. His other one didn’t move out to stop his fall. Cha Cha follows him down, breathing into his ear like a lover. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"Fucking whore.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Cha Cha, stop! I’ll come, just . . . leave him!” </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus can hear the tremor in Five’s voice. It’s the most emotion he’s ever seen from his old-man brother. From where his cheek is pressed against the carpet he can see Five, slightly hunched over, his face grimaced in pain. Luther looks like a bulldog on a chain, ready to jump in but not wanting Hazel’s hand to slip or a gun to go off. Nathan is jittery, all vibrating limbs and chewed nails. It breaks Klaus’ heart a bit when he sees Vanya sobbing into Allison’s chest. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He looks up and finds Dave. His fists are clenched, ready to lunge at Cha Cha. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“No, please, Ben, Diego,” Klaus coughs, using his good arm to push himself up to his knees. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dave needs to save his brothers first. Ben can’t die again. He can’t watch Diego get hurt. Klaus can take his chances that God will kick him out again.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He just has to convince his overly-protective boyfriend.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Klaus, make me solid,” Dave’s pleads, his voice cracking as he responds to the message only meant for him. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“My brothers,” Klaus gasps out more firmly, his voice hoarse. He glares at Dave, willing him to concede. He’ll be okay, and if he isn’t, he’ll be with Dave, won’t he? </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He can see the reluctance in his boyfriend’s eyes, but Dave lets out a breath, turning his focus instead on the soldier holding Ben. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus nods to himself. It’s go time. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He concentrates on that cool feeling ebbing through his veins. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Cha Cha pulls him up by the hair. Klaus tries to hold onto that feeling, blocking her out.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“After we take Five back, I'm coming for you. I'm going to take my time with you.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus takes a deep breath. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Cha Cha continues.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“I'm going to start by cutting out those pretty green eyes. Then, who knows? Maybe we can cut that tongue out."</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The Seance closes his eyes.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Hey! I’m talking to you!”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>He pulls.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Got it.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Hey!”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus' eyes open slowly. His mouth slides into a wide grin. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"I think my boyfriend might have something to say about that. I am, after all, very talented with my tongue."</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Cha Cha follows Klaus’ gaze over her shoulder.  </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dave appears standing behind the soldier holding Ben, pistol pressed against the soldier's head.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>"What the…" Cha Cha gasps just as Hazel grunts out "Fuck,"</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dave fires. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The soldier goes down. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus rolls out of Cha Cha’s grip. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Five’s pulled a gun out of the back of his pants, firing at the last few soldiers with practiced precision.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klau looks up from his back to see Luther lunge for the knife in Hazel’s grip just as Allison round-house kicks him in the face. Diego wriggles free, snatching up the dropped knife and thrusting it into Hazel’s neck. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Hazel screams. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>They all do it, they all spin around to the source of the sound. Everyone except one.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus hears the crick of the pistol and twists his neck back, already knowing what he’ll be seeing. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Cha Cha’s gun is pointed at him. Klaus sags back against the carpet, lying helplessly. He wonders if God will throw him back again or keep him there. Things had just started going well with his siblings, he’d just met Nathan and Ben is alive - he isn’t ready to go yet. But if she does keep him, will he get to stay with Dave? Panic hits him as he realises that Ben couldn’t interact with the other ghosts. What if he can’t see Dave?</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Get away from him, you fucking bitch.”</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dave swings the butt of his rifle across Cha Cha’s face. It makes contact with a satisfying smack, sending her crashing into the floor as she fires off the round. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The ex-army soldier spins the gun deftly in his hands and points it at Cha Cha. He fires. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>The only sound is a muffled click.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Dave throws away the empty gun. Cha Cha is scrambling to her feet to get away, but Dave is faster. He pins her up against a pillar, his hand around her throat. Klaus notices that her eyes are dark with something he hasn’t seen in her before. He can smell it, it is, after all, an emotion he’s familiar with. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Fear. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Klaus feels a stutter in his power, tingling, then spiking sharply, before returning to a numb coolness.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Klaus, what’s happening?” Dave asks, turning around as he holds Cha Cha by her throat. Her hands are grabbing at his, trying to get free but Dave is too strong. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“I dunno,” he replies. He’s gotten better at this, he should be able to hold on for hours. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>His powers slip out of his grip entirely like a silk ribbon. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Cha Cha drops to the floor, coughing as Dave fades back to a ghost. Dave tries to grab Cha Cha again, but his hand slips through her. She’s getting up, coughing and holding her throat as Dave desperately tries to hold her down. <br/>Through the commotion, a gun goes off.  </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Cha Cha cries out, grabbing her side. Klaus twists around, still on his back. Getting up is too much effort with one arm.</i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>Five is standing above Klaus, legs split, holding a gun with steady hands. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>A shout from Luther is the only warning before Five is barrelled over by Hazel. They both crash down on top of Klaus who lets out a bitten-off cry. Something hard and heavy hits Klaus’ foot as Hazel rolls off the pack of bodies, lunging for Cha Cha. </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>“Fuck, grab the briefcase!” </i>
  </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>
    <i>There’s a click and a flash of blue.</i>
  </i>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Klaus whump to come</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dave's take on the events - and what happens to Hazel and Cha Cha?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Dave had always thought of himself as a pacifist. Back home, before the war, he had been something of a peacekeeper in his family. When his siblings used to fight, he would always be the one to break it up, to mediate between their bickering arguments. Even during his later years at high school when it became harder and harder to hide his differences, he would never respond to the provocations of his peers. </p><p>It was when Dave met Klaus that he realised he wasn’t a pacifist at all, he just hadn’t met someone worth fighting for. </p><p>Dave had been too distracted watching Klaus grinning like a loon, dancing with his oversized toy at the carnival to see Hazel and Cha Cha loitering near the drink stand. By the time he spotted them closing in, Klaus and Nathan were passed out on the grass behind the House of Horrors. As Hazel threw a twin over each shoulder, all Dave could do was watch, completely helpless, the sedative blocking him out entirely. Klaus had been doing so well staying sober for him. Dave had enjoyed weeks of being able to touch his boyfriend, hold him, kiss him (Dave had been reluctant to do more given that Klaus was in his body that was only nineteen, but Klaus was doing a good job of breaking down his resolve). </p><p>Klaus had woken up in the back of the ice cream van (thanks to his inhuman tolerance levels). The bastards had tied their hands behind their backs and then to each other, binding their feet with tape. Dave always tried to talk softly to Klaus, knowing how much the shouting and screaming of the ghosts traumatised him, but in the back of that van he was yelling at the top of his voice for his boyfriend to hear him. Just as Dave thought Klaus’s glazed over eyes might be tracking him, Hazel noticed he was awake. He reached over from the front seat and dragged Klaus towards him. Klaus started to realise something was wrong and began to struggle just as Hazel pulled a needle out of the glove box. Klaus’ eyes widened when he saw it and he started kicking his legs out, desperate to get away from the drug. </p><p>Klaus told Dave he hadn’t injected since before Vietnam. </p><p>Dave fell to his knees sobbing next to Klaus as his body fell limp. </p><p> </p><p>Once the twins had been bound together in the basement, Dave had considered staying. His unbeating heart was telling him to be there for Klaus, to support him no matter what these arseholes did to him.</p><p>His brain intervened. He was no use to Klaus when he couldn’t even see him and wouldn’t be able to for at least a few hours until the drug wore off. </p><p>But there were others that could. </p><p>He had been trying to get the siblings’ attention for hours, but without any success. He tried to control the steering wheel of the taxi they caught home, to move a pen to write a message in their dorm, he even tried to straight out communicate with Ben, hoping that his past ghostly life might give him some sort of link, but it was no use and Dave knew it. He couldn’t feel Klaus’ power. </p><p>Not until Five dug out the map. </p><p>It wasn’t as strong as usual. Normally, Dave could feel Klaus’ power wash over him like cold water from a river, clear and strong, but this felt more like a drop of water tickling through his body. </p><p>Then Ben declared that he could feel him.</p><p>Dave grabbed onto the thread of power and pulled it towards him, hanging on for dear life (or for Klaus and Nathan’s dear lives). He gritted his teeth, focusing all of his energy into moving into the living world.</p><p>He pressed his finger to the map to show where the warehouse was. </p><p> </p><p>As soon as the siblings had worked it out, Dave transported back to the basement, but Klaus was gone. The tape and ropes were loose and there were dark shiny streaks all over the chairs and pooled on the floor and no . . . </p><p>Nathan was lying on the concrete. Dave had seen enough boys shot dead in Vietnam, and now here was Klaus’ brother, blood pooling around his head. He looked exactly like Alfie had when he found him after a disastrous contact in the mountains. The jungle was so thick that they had all lost each other. Dave had been split up from Klaus for over two hours while the gun fire cracked through the trees. He’d found Alfie first, the poor kid, he was only nineteen, then he’d thought of Klaus and if he’d suffered the same fate, if he was still alive. . .</p><p>When Klaus limped out of a patch of ferns, coated in mud, Dave hadn’t even bothered to try and hide his tears. </p><p>He tried to touch Nathan’s cheek, but his hand just passed straight through. The drugs must have still been in Klaus’ system then. His heart tightened as he looked down on his body.</p><p>He looked so much like Klaus. </p><p>But it wasn’t Klaus, it was Nathan, and Nathan could --</p><p>“Fuck me gently with a chainsaw,” he groaned, rubbing his head. He blinked in the bright lights, looking around the room without seeing Dave. </p><p>The ex-soldier watched as Nathan dragged himself to his feet, still limping. It seemed his powers didn’t completely heal non-fatal injuries. He made a note to tell Klaus; Nathan was just as bad at admitting when he needed some help. </p><p>When he grabbed the crow bar, Dave cheered him on.</p><p>“Get those sons-of-bitches.”</p><p>There had been a lot of blood on those chairs, especially the one Klaus had been in. </p><p>Oh God, he shouldn’t have left. He should have stayed.</p><p>And what would you have done Dave?</p><p>He doesn’t know if he could have watched Hazel and Cha Cha hurting his Klaus. </p><p> </p><p>When he first caught sight of Klaus held face down in the corridor he cried out in relief. He was alive. Klaus was alive - but what were they doing to him?</p><p>Then he saw the knife.</p><p>“Dave, if you’re around, now would be a good time to show up,” Klaus calls out to the echoing corridor.</p><p>I’m here! Dave yelled back. I’m here for you. </p><p>“Who’s Dave?” Cha Cha asked. </p><p>Klaus gave her one of his big sloppy smiles that made Dave’s knees melt. </p><p>“He’s my boyfriend, and he’s going to be mighty pissed when he finds out what you’ve done. He’s ex-army, so he can hunt you down.”</p><p>Good you gave her a warning Klaus, because I’m doing to do exactly that.</p><p> </p><p>Nathan stumbled into the corridor and beat the bejeezus out of Cha Cha with the crow bar (which was fair in Dave’s opinion, considering she killed him), then Dave followed the boys as they escaped up the stairs into the lobby. </p><p>Klaus’ siblings should be here soon, he thought. </p><p>Then he heard the gunfire. </p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t until Klaus was pinned with a gun pointed at him that Dave finally felt his boyfriend’s power wash over him. </p><p>He felt himself step into the world of the living and he knew Klaus could see him because his big green eyes locked with his own.</p><p>Klaus threw him a gun. Dave caught it. </p><p>Dave doesn’t enjoy killing, but when it comes to Klaus, there’s nothing he won’t do to protect him. </p><p> </p><p>Stupid Klaus always risking himself for others. </p><p>Dave knew he could grab the gun from the soldier holding Ben and shoot Cha Cha before anyone even knew he was there, but from the way Klaus is looking at him, he knows he will never be forgiven for risking Diego or Ben’s lives. </p><p>Still, Dave can’t lose Klaus. He has to save him first.</p><p>Then Klaus started to beg. </p><p>Those eyes, Dave would do anything those eyes told him to do. </p><p>He killed because those eyes told him to. </p><p>When he first hit Cha Cha with the butt of his rifle, he was protecting Klaus. </p><p>Then he has her pressed up against the wall, his strong hands around her throat. </p><p>He’s still protecting Klaus, isn’t he? </p><p>Dave has killed many men. Shot them through the trees, in hot blood. </p><p>Never with his own hands. </p><p>His hands pass through her neck as he feels the power drawing away from his body like a tide pulling back out to sea. </p><p>Dave scrambles to grab her, to hold on to her.</p><p>Then he realises.</p><p>It’s Klaus. Klaus is protecting him. </p><p> </p><p>A gun goes off. Cha Cha grabs her side, red blooming through her shirt around her hand. </p><p>Hazel’s running. Luther calls out, Five goes flying.</p><p>“Fuck, grab the briefcase!” </p><p>Dave is standing between Hazel and Cha Cha but can’t do anything to stop them. Hazel stops, kneeling on the ground.</p><p>There’s a click. </p><p>Hazel is balancing the briefcase on a bent knee. He turns the dial, calling for Cha Cha. She staggers towards him, clutching her side. </p><p>There’s a flash of blue. </p><p>Five’s gripping the briefcase, wrestling it from Hazel’s grip. Cha Cha is searching the ground with her other hand, looking for a weapon that’s still loaded.</p><p>A knife sails through the air with a whistle, embedding into Hazel’s hand with a satisfying squelch. Hazel screams. </p><p>Five grins and flashes again. </p><p>The briefcase is gone. </p><p>Dave turns around to see the Umbrella Academy, all standing in a line next to Klaus, who is still on the ground. Nathan’s crouched behind, holding him up. </p><p>Luther’s in the middle. Dave would have hated to have seen him in his thirties. Klaus always says that younger Luther is tiny compared to his older counterpart. Allison’s to his right, her fists balled tight. Diego has a knife in each hand, poised ready to throw. Five’s grinning like the crazy psycho he is, briefcase gripped in his hands. </p><p>Cha Cha is pointing a gun back at them, her hand shaking. The stain in her shirt has gotten bigger. Hazel has a rifle in each hand aimed in their direction. </p><p>Dave crouches in front of Klaus and Nathan. </p><p>“Klaus, make me solid,” Dave says over his shoulder. Klaus chuckles.</p><p>“Sorry love, I’m all out of juice.”</p><p>Dave spins around to look closely at his boyfriend. He’s pale, even more so than Nathan. The fine sweat that had been coating his skin is now soaking his hair. His long legs are stretched out in front of him as he sits between Nathan’s legs, his whole weight against his brother’s chest. </p><p>“Klaus, are you okay? Talk to me, what’s happening?”</p><p>His attention is drawn away when Five speaks.</p><p>“I warned you,” he says, stepping slowly forward, his free hand jammed in his pocket. He shakes his head. “I warned you, but you didn’t listen.”</p><p>He stops, glaring at Hazel and Cha Cha. “I told you not to mess with my siblings.”</p><p>Luther looks across to Ben and Vanya at the end of the line. He gives them a nod. </p><p>Vanya steps forward. The rubble scattered around the room starts to vibrate. </p><p>Dave shields Klaus’ body despite the futility of his actions. </p><p>The ground begins to shake. </p><p>Vanya raises her arms. White light radiates around her.  </p><p>Cha Cha tries to run. Ben steps forward, ripping open his shirt. </p><p> </p><p>Even back at the Community Centre in London when Ben was fighting off the ghosts, Dave has only ever seen the ex-ghost somewhere between caring softie or a snarky, sarcastic cat. </p><p>Ben’s brow is furrowed as his fists clench. He bares his teeth. </p><p>Sometimes Dave forgets that for thirteen years, Klaus was literally all that Ben had. </p><p>The Horror screech as they burst forth into the room. </p><p>A tentacle chases Cha Cha before piercing through her back. Her body tenses for a moment before slumping, motionless. </p><p>The tentacle retracts with a slurp back into Ben’s stomach. </p><p>Hazel backs away, rifles still drawn but his head is turned, searching for an exit. </p><p>Vanya slices her hand through the air. A flash of blinding white light follows the arc, leaving a splatter of blood in a diagonal line across Hazel’s chest in its wake. </p><p>His eyes roll back before the big man crashes into the ground. </p><p> </p><p>Allison steps forwards, resting her hand on Vanya’s shoulder. Her eyes slowly fade back to brown. She’s panting, clutching Allison’s arm while she catches her breath. </p><p>Diego moves to Ben, rubbing his back as he gets his own breathing under control. </p><p>Dave turns back to Klaus. </p><p>“Gee whiz, I don’t need the shovel talk after that display.”</p><p>Klaus smiles weakly. He’s almost looking grey.</p><p>“Klaus, are you okay?”</p><p>“Hmm?” he responds, glazed eyes not focusing on his own. Klaus can’t see him, which either means he’s high or he’s not strong enough to use his powers. </p><p>Dave looks over Klaus, searching for what is wrong. The bruises and cuts should be making him stiff and sore, but they don’t account for why he’s losing so much colour. The shoulder looks bad, but not any worse than before. He shouldn’t be deteriorating so quickly. </p><p>“C’mon, let’s go,” Nathan says, standing behind Klaus and oblivious to the changes in his brother. He slings his good arm around his neck and tries to lift his twin into a standing position, but Klaus is boneless in the way he is when he’s had far too much to drink. </p><p>Dave almost misses it. His stupid technicolour tights. There’s one spot just above his knee where the colours are darker than the rest, spreading in a splotchy pattern. He leans in.</p><p>There’s a hole in the fabric. Dave’s seen enough of those holes to know what makes them.</p><p>“Klaus, Klaus, can you hear me? You’ve been shot.” Dave grabs at his boyfriend’s face, but his hands pass straight through. “Klaus, you have to tell the others.”</p><p>Klaus’ head rolls on Nathan’s shoulder, his eyes wandering around the room. Sweat is beaded on his brow. His lips are almost white. </p><p>
  <i>C’mon, c’mon guys, work it out. Help him.</i>
</p><p>The other siblings are checking on Ben and Vanya, exchanging tight smiles and reassuring touches. Five is fiddling with the briefcase.</p><p>“Klaus, are you gonna help me out here or what?” Nathan grumbles, adjusting his grip on his slumping brother. He catches his hand on Klaus’ thigh. </p><p>Dave watches as Nathan’s nose crumples.</p><p>He pulls his hand away. It’s coated in blood. His face contorts in horror.</p><p>“Help! Quickly, someone help!”</p><p>Nathan loses his hold on Klaus as they both sink to the ground. He manages to catch Klaus in his lap. </p><p>Five is the first to Klaus’ side, pushing Nathan’s bloodied hand away to clamp over the wound. </p><p>C’mon Klaus, hang in there. Only you could get shot and not realise. </p><p>Dave presses his tongue to the roof of his mouth, trying to stave off the tears and stay strong for Klaus. His Klaus needs him.</p><p>“Luther, turn him on his side. I need to check for an exit wound.”</p><p>A beat later and Luther is gently turning his brother onto his side, holding as much weight off the ground as he can. Five is running his fingers over the back of Klaus’ thighs, searching for a hole. Dave stays in front of Klaus, trying to hold his hand. Each time his hand passes through. </p><p>Ben rushes over, his mouth hung open.</p><p>“Klaus - what’s happening? What’s happening!”</p><p>Ben’s cries are desperate. Dave feels his throat choke up.</p><p>Allison puts her arm around her shaking brother, her other hand over her mouth. </p><p>“Diego, knife!” Five barks, holding his hand out. Diego rushes over, pushing the handle of a knife into Five’s hand. He uses it to cut Klaus’ leggings away on his right leg. </p><p>Blood bubbles out of the wound on the front of his from the sudden change in pressure.</p><p>“Shit!” Five grabs the scrap of lycra and ties it tightly above the wound. Dave has heard that using a tourniquet is dangerous, but Five seems to know what he’s doing. They were told in Vietnam to only use it as a last resort as it could lead to bigger problems when you were days away from a hospital. </p><p>Five inspects the back of Klaus’ thigh again.</p><p>“No exit. We need to get him to a hospital, now.”</p><p>“How are w...w...we going to do that?” Diego asks desperately. Luther settles Klaus back into Nathan’s lap. He takes off his jacket and lays it over his brother. Even with Klaus’ long limbs, it covers him like a blanket. </p><p>Five flashes away, then flashes back.</p><p>He’s holding the briefcase. </p><p>“We’re going home.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oh no! Will Klaus be OK? </p><p>We know <i>where</i> the siblings are going, but do we know <i>when</i>?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>They're back at the Academy, but things are just starting to get tough for Klaus.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry, I know I've extended the chapters again, but this one was huge! Had to split it in two.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nathan lands hard on his hands and knees, the shock jarring through his wrists. He groans, rubbing his head. </p><p>He never wants to do that again. It feels like he’s been blown up like a balloon, then had all the air let out of him leaving an overstretched skin behind.</p><p>Luther is lying on his back next to him, Klaus’ limp body firmly grasped to his chest. </p><p>“Quick, get him up here!” Five is shouting from somewhere behind them. </p><p>Ben and Diego are suddenly hovering over Klaus, Ben grabbing his brother under his arms while Diego holds his legs. They carry him over to what looks like a crazy scientist’s surgical table out of some old Frankenstein movie. Nathan stands up as he watches the siblings lay Klaus’ still body out flat. Five is already pulling a pair of gloves on. </p><p>“Vanya, Allison, get Mom. If you see him . . .”</p><p>“I know, I’ll use my powers,” Allison says, hustling her smaller sister out the wooden double doors. </p><p>“Where are we?” Nathan asks, looking around the room. They are definitely in some kind of surgery or medical room from the instruments laid out on the bench next to the operating table and the antique overhead light that Five is adjusting over Klaus’ leg. It reminds him of a mansion that they visited once on a school trip that had belonged to a wealthy family until the last son, a psychiatrist, had died in mysterious circumstances. The house had given Nathan the creeps, so much so that he snuck out half way through the tour and spent the next thirty minutes smoking a joint in the old stables. </p><p>“The Umbrella Academy,” Luther replies. He’s standing helplessly, towering over Five to watch as the smaller brother selects a silver tool from the bench.</p><p>“Luther, if you don’t stop blocking my light right now -”</p><p>The giant steps back sheepishly, instead standing next to Ben &amp; Diego up the other end of the bed. </p><p>Ben is crouched down, holding Klaus’ hand while he talks to his brother in a low voice. Diego is checking Klaus’ pulse under his jaw, his lips moving as he stares at the clock on the wall. </p><p>“Five -” he warns.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I know!” Five snaps back. “I need Mom here to hook up his IV before I can start digging this out.” </p><p>Nathan moves over to Diego.</p><p>“What is it, what’s wrong?”</p><p>“His pulse is getting weaker. He’s lost a lot of blood.”</p><p>Nathan looks down at his twin. He looks like a ghost. The bruises around his neck stand out even sharper against his colourless skin. Nathan can barely look at his shoulder, so his eyes track down his body. Klaus’ thigh is now coated in shiny red blood. </p><p>It hits him at that moment that maybe Klaus <i>won’t</i> be okay.</p><p>He crouches on the side opposite Ben and takes his brother’s other hand. </p><p>“Klaus, c’mon man, stay with us.”</p><p>The doors fling open and a beautiful woman straight out of a fifties magazine bustles into the room. Her blonde hair is beautifully styled over her shoulders and her make up would put movie stars to shame.</p><p>“I’ve rumoured Dad and Pogo to go on an important trip to Texas for a week,” Allison announces, standing next to Vanya. </p><p>Five nods in approval.</p><p>“Children, it’s so good to see you,” The woman says with a broad smile. “The girls said something about Klaus?” Her eyes settle on his body stretched out on the table and it’s like a switch flicks. Her mouth presses into a stern line as she whips an apron off the hook and ties it over her polka-dot dress.</p><p>“What happened?” Diego moves back as she presses her fingers to Klaus’ neck. It might be a trick of the light, but Nathan swears he sees her eyes flash an unnatural blue. </p><p>“These two assassains, they captured him and tortured him. He’s been shot, Mom.”</p><p>“His temperature is one-hundred-and-one.”</p><p>“One-hundred-and-one?” Nathan gasps. </p><p>“Farenheit,” Five supplies, cutting the tourniquet from Klaus’ thigh.</p><p>“Oh,” Nathan says. He has no idea if that’s high.</p><p>“That’s high,” Luther says, concerned. </p><p>“He needs a blood transfusion.”</p><p>“I’ll do it!” the siblings (apart from Five) chorus around the room, holding up their arms.</p><p>“Diego, you should get out the room for this,” Luther commands.</p><p>“W . . .w. . . what? No way. I’m staying!” he protests. </p><p>“Diego, he’s right,” Ben says softly, looking up. “We can’t look after you if you pass out as well as Klaus.”</p><p>Diego bites his lip thoughtfully then spins around. He kicks a chair as he storms out of the room.</p><p>“I’ll go with him,” Vanya offers.</p><p>Nathan looks back to the table to see the siblings’ mother watching him curiously.</p><p>“Hello, I’m Grace, I don’t believe we’ve met.”</p><p>Nathan gives her a wave. “Erm, yeah, I’m Nathan, I’m . . . “</p><p>It feels weird to tell Klaus’ mum that they’re actually - </p><p>“You’re Klaus’ twin,” she says, her bright red lips in a broad smile. </p><p>“How - did you already know?” Luther asks suspiciously from his spot in the corner. </p><p>“Your DNA and Klaus’ DNA are a ninety-eight point five percent match.” </p><p>How would she know that? </p><p>She threads a bag up to the hook over the bed and connects a long line, attaching a needle to the end. </p><p>“Your blood would be the best match for Klaus.” She pulls over the chair Diego kicked. Nathan rushes over to sit down and holds out his arm. He looks away as the needle slides in.</p><p>“You can take as much as you want,” he says, looking up at Grace. “It won’t kill me, well, not permanently,” he jokes.</p><p>She smiles sadly. She looks like she’s had a lot of practice with that expression.</p><p>“I’ll try not to sweetie.”</p><p>Nathan watches as Five digs around in Klaus’ leg to find the bullet. He’s kneeling on the table between his brother’s legs, blood splattered all over his shorts. </p><p>There’s a beeping sound from a machine to Nathan’s left. He doesn’t dare turn around in case he disturbs the needle in his arm.</p><p>“Mom! We’re losing him!”</p><p>Klaus can hear Ben sobbing. He bites his own tongue, blinking back the tears that sting his eyes. </p><p>He hears a crash followed by Diego’s desperate voice.</p><p>“W...w...whwh..what’s h..ha.p..?” </p><p>“Allison, get him out of here!” Luther orders. Nathan can’t twist around to see the siblings bickering.</p><p>“No!” Diego shouts out. </p><p>“Well calm down!” Luther fires back. </p><p>Nathan can hear Diego behind him taking deep breaths. </p><p>“He needs more blood!” Five calls out. </p><p>“None of you are a match with Klaus’ blood type, and I’ve already taken as much as I can from Nathan. Any more would be harmful.” Grace says too calmly. </p><p>Nathan can virtually hear the cogs turning in Five’s head.</p><p>“Nathan, you were down in that basement just as long as Klaus. How come you aren’t injured?”</p><p>“I was! The bitch kneecapped me.”</p><p>“But you’re healed? Is that part of your power?”</p><p>“No, it was only after she shot me in the head.”</p><p>Nathan hears Allison gasp behind him.</p><p>“So after you die, your body returns to full health.”</p><p>“Yeah, I guess.” </p><p>It didn’t exactly work like that. Waking up from dying felt like the worst hangover in the world. Nathan was finding that the fatal injury would heal pretty quickly, but he could be feeling the effects for a week later. </p><p>He starts to work out Five’s line of thinking.</p><p>Unfortunately, so has Ben.</p><p>“Five, no! You’re saying you want to kill Nathan?”</p><p>Nathan sees Five shake his head in exasperation, hand planted over the wound on Klaus’ leg. </p><p>“We haven’t got time for this! It’s not killing him if he’s immortal. We just need to make sure whatever we do, he actually dies. That way his power will kick in.”</p><p>The uproar in the room is so loud Nathan’s almost surprised that Klaus doesn’t wake up.</p><p>“Stop! Stop!” Nathan yells out over the din. He locks eyes with Five, the only sibling he can see with the needle still stuck in his arm, apart from Ben who is still sitting opposite, holding Klaus’ hand. </p><p>“I’m doing it.”</p><p>“Nathan -” Ben starts, but Nathan shakes his head. </p><p>“Five’s right,” he says, trying to keep the quiver from his voice. “I’ll come straight back.” </p><p>“Are you sure?” Grace asks kindly, stroking Nathan’s crazy hair out of his face. Nathan nods. </p><p>He can’t let Klaus die. </p><p>Grace adjusts a dial on an old fashioned heart rate monitor and turns back to Nathan. Her face is creased with worry. She turns to Luther. “Darling, could you please set up the other table for Nathan?”</p><p>“Make him better,” Nathan says as he starts to feel lightheaded. He turns his head to look at his brother’s ashen face. His vision starts to fade as he feels himself being lifted onto the table. He can see the others from this angle. He grins at them, flipping them the finger.</p><p>“See you in a bit, wankers!”</p><p>His head tips back and he falls under.</p><p> </p><p>The first thing Klaus can feel is the soft pillow against his cheek. He feels like his head is melting into it. </p><p>The next thing he feels is the sharp bite of pain in his thigh. Now he’s thinking about it, it actually hurts a lot. Like a lot a lot. </p><p>“Klaus, can you hear me?” The voice is muffled like he’s under water in the bath, but it sounds like Mom. </p><p>“He shouldn’t be waking up already.” That voice sounds like Five. </p><p>He feels the familiar rush of comfort through his veins and sinks back into oblivion. </p><p> </p><p>When he wakes next, he can only hear voices, too far away to make out what they are saying. His head doesn’t feel soft and fluffy anymore. It feels like someone has sliced it open with a chainsaw. He groans, trying to roll over onto his side. He feels wet, his clothes are sticking to him. Klaus moves his arm to try and lever himself over when a blinding pain sears through his shoulder and he fades just as someone calls his name. </p><p>He dips in and out several times. Sometimes he feels so cold he wonders if he’s in the mausoleum. Other times he’s sweltering hot but too weak to open his eyes and push the weight that’s covering him off his body. </p><p>A cool hand presses against his cheek. Klaus leans into it, desperate for the contrast against his burning skin. </p><p>“Shh, you’re okay.” Klaus knows that voice. That voice has barely left him over the last thirteen years. </p><p>He tries to say <i>Ben</i>, but his mouth and throat are so dry that he dissolves into weak coughs. A moment later, he feels water drizzling into his mouth. His tongue feels swollen as he tries to lick it from his chapped lips.</p><p>“Sorry Klaus, I can’t give you any more, you’ll be sick. Mom’s giving you fluids.”</p><p>His energy seeps away. Klaus tries to hold on but sleep takes him again. </p><p> </p><p>The next time he wakes up he’s determined to open his eyes. He’s cold again and his body is already shivering when he comes to.</p><p>“Are you awake?” </p><p>Klaus drags his heavy eyelids open. He’s lying on his side. Facing him is his twin, lying in the same position on a bed next to his. His big green eyes are glazed, but he’s grinning ear to ear.</p><p>“They told me you’ve been waking up, but I didn’t believe them. I said you were a lazy prick trying to sleep in.”</p><p>Klaus scrunches his face up as a wave of pain floods through his leg. </p><p>“You okay?” Nathan asks. Klaus forces his eyes open and looks back at his twin. The thought of nodding makes him want to throw up. In fact . . </p><p>He brings a hand up to his mouth just as the nausea tips over the edge of what he can control. It’s not a matter of if he’ll throw up, but how long he can hold it.</p><p>“Ben! Bucket!” Nathan calls out, twisting around in the bed. Klaus closes his eyes, trying to get control of his rolling stomach. </p><p>A hand presses against his back, tipping him closer towards the edge. </p><p>Ben smells like leather and old books. </p><p>The stimulation to his senses is too much. He vomits, hearing the slap of liquid against the bucket. Ben’s rubbing his back in firm circles.</p><p>“That’s it, any more?” </p><p>Klaus shakes his head. The motion makes him lose sense of where the floor is. He tips forward. </p><p>“Whoa, whoa, easy big boy.”</p><p>The second pair of hands must be Diego’s. They haul him back into the bed. He feels something wipe his mouth and chin.</p><p>Once the pain in his leg and his shoulder starts to recede to a steady pulse, Klaus tries to open his eyes again. </p><p>He looks up at the ceiling. He knows this ceiling. </p><p>His eyes dart around the room. </p><p>He’s in the infirmary.</p><p>At the Academy.</p><p>They’re back at the Academy. </p><p>
  <i>Why are they back at the Academy?</i>
</p><p>Ben is saying something, but he can’t hear him. He tries to sit up so that he can see his body but he can’t move.</p><p>
  <i>What’s wrong with him? Why is he in the infirmary? And why is he so cold?”</i>
</p><p>He spots the clear tube hanging from the hook next to a bag of what must be saline. He follows the tube into his arm.</p><p>He knows what that tube is. </p><p>No. No, no, no, not again.</p><p>He can’t. He can’t.</p><p>
  <i>Dave, Dave, Dave.</i>
</p><p>Klaus doesn’t realise he’s saying it out loud until Ben’s face is in view, hovering over him. He looks worried. He’s talking but Klaus can’t listen because they’re pumping him full of drugs and he finally got clean.</p><p>With a strength he didn’t have, Klaus snatches at the cannula in his arm and yanks it out. A loud thud shakes the room as Ben jumps over the bed, trying to wrestle the needle from Klaus’ grip.</p><p>“Klaus!” he shouts, his hands closing over Klaus’ fist. </p><p>“No!” Klaus shrieks back. Ben lets go and steps back, panting. He bobs down next to the bed. Klaus can see Nathan’s worried expression behind him.</p><p>“Klaus, listen to me. You’ve had a traumatic injury, <i>injuries</i> actually. You almost died.”</p><p>“No!” Klaus gasps, breaking into painful coughs. His throat is so dry. </p><p>“Klaus, Mom’s only giving you a tiny amount, just to let your body recover. You have a fever. You need painkillers or your body can’t rest enough to get better.”</p><p>“I don’t care,” he pants, sweat pouring off his forehead. “No drugs.”</p><p>Ben rubs a hand over his face, letting his head sink. </p><p>“You’re too weak to do this without some help Klaus. It’s only for a bit.”</p><p>Nathan pipes in. “Klaus, listen to Ben.”</p><p>“No!”</p><p>A monitor starts beeping wildly. </p><p> </p><p>Five flashes into the room, followed closely by the other siblings and Grace. </p><p>“What’s going on?”</p><p>“Klaus pulled his morphine needle out,” Ben says in resignation.</p><p>“What happened to Diego?” Luther asks, standing above his brother passed out on the floor.</p><p>“Klaus pulled his morphine needle out,” Ben repeats. </p><p>Luther looks down at his brother and shrugs. He grabs him by one arm and drags him into the corner, out of the way. </p><p>Grace smiles kindly and rifles through the drawer of the metal trolley. “That’s alright honey, I’ll just pop it back in for you, it’ll just take a jiffy . . .”</p><p>“NO!” Klaus shouts, dragging himself into a half-sitting on his good arm. Why don’t they understand? He can’t go back on drugs, he can’t, it was so hard to get clean. The constant pull at the back of his mind that had never really left, just gotten a bit weaker. The vomiting and headaches and the anger and the sadness and the helplessness and the letting everyone down over and over every time he failed --</p><p>He doesn’t know if he can do it again. </p><p>He uses his good leg to push himself further up but his foot slips. Instead he pulls his injured one. Pain shoots through Klaus’ thigh, rippling up through his back.</p><p>He cries out, throwing his head back and arching his chest off the bed. He’s so hot, why is he so hot?</p><p>Ben rushes forward to steady Klaus on the bed before he tips off. Nathan is trying to get himself out of bed, but after resurrecting only hours earlier for the second time in a day, he’s weak as a kitten. Allison holds him back, leaving a reassuring hand on his arm.  </p><p>Vanya holds her hands over her ears, tears gathering in her eyes. </p><p>“For God’s sake Klaus, stop being such a moron,” Five chastises, gathering the old IV that is dangling from the bag. He snaps the cannula off the hose and throws it into the bin, holding his hand out to Grace for the new one.</p><p>“Please Five, no,” Klaus begs. He’s crying now. Thick tears are running down his face as deep sobs wrack his battered body. He’s shaking his head, each movement punishing. His head feels like there’s a hammer beating at the inside of his skull. </p><p>Five snaps on the needle with determination. Grace has stepped back, watching with the tight lipped stare of a mother who can’t bear to see her child in pain. </p><p>“Klaus, stop this,” Ben pleads, grabbing onto Klaus’ hand. Klaus pulls away, wary of anyone getting too close to a vein. </p><p>“We just want you to get better, Klausy,” Nathan adds, his lip trembling. </p><p>“I’m fine, I don’t need it. I don’t need . . .”</p><p>Klaus is talking rapidly, gasping for breath. His eyes are vacant and glassy, staring at the wall. He’s starting to weaken, he knows it, his siblings know it. </p><p>Five nudges Luther. </p><p>Klaus sees him. </p><p>They’re going to hold him down.</p><p>“NO!” he shrieks, knocking his injured arm into the trolley. His hand catches the edge of the tray and sends the instruments flying into the air. Five swears as he drops the new needle. </p><p>“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Five yells at Klaus.</p><p>“Hey - back off!” Ben warns, holding his hand out towards Five.</p><p>“What the hell is going on?” Diego asks, coming back into the land of consciousness. He sits up and rubs the back of his head.</p><p>“He’s being an idiot!” Five yells back, pointing at Klaus whose heart rate monitor is bleeping like a smoke alarm. </p><p>“Don’t speak to him like that!” Ben hisses, leaning over his brother. </p><p>“Boys, please, no fighting in the infirmary,” Grace cheerily reminds, the slightest quiver in her voice. </p><p>“Five! Ben! Cut it out!” Allison shouts. </p><p>A sudden gust of wind whips around the room.</p><p>“Enough.” Vanya says. She’s not yelling, but her voice is so loud. The wind stops as soon as it started. </p><p>The room falls silent. </p><p>“We aren’t getting anywhere like this, and it’s stressing Klaus out.”</p><p>Klaus is rolled onto his side, whimpering into his pillow. Grace places her hand delicately on his forehead. </p><p>“His temperature is back up to one-hundred-and-one.”</p><p>“Shouldn’t he be cold with all the blood loss?” Luther asks, looking over his sick sibling. </p><p>“He’s probably aggravated his fever again,” Five snarls. He shakes his head and flashes out of the room.</p><p>“He’s only upset because he cares,” Grace says, looking around to each of the siblings. </p><p>Klaus grabs Ben’s hand that’s still on the bed.</p><p>“Please Benny, don’t let them, don’t.”</p><p>Ben sighs, kicking off his shoes before walking around the other side of the bed and crawling in behind Klaus, draping an arm carefully over his brother’s injured body. </p><p>“Always having to do everything the hard way,” he says, settling into a comfortable position. Luther comes back from the cupboard with a blanket, draping it over the both of them. </p><p>Slowly, one by one, each of the other siblings leave until it’s just Klaus, Ben and Nathan. </p><p>His twin reaches a hand out across the gap between the beds. Klaus touches it with his finger tips, watching as his brother’s face relaxes. </p><p>“Y’know what Dave would be saying if he was here, don’t you?” Nathan asks with a smirk. </p><p>Klaus doesn’t have a chance to think about it before a wash of heat rolls over his body and the adrenaline fades away.</p><p> </p><p>
  <i>“Klaus, Klaus, wake up!” </i>
</p><p>His eyelids are so heavy. </p><p>He’s just going to go back to sleep.</p><p>
  <i>“Klaus! Can you hear me?”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Get the mask!” </i>
</p><p>That sounds a bit like Five, but it can’t be, because he sounds <i>scared</i>.</p><p>
  <i> “Klaus! Shit, he’s getting worse!”</i>
</p><p>A strap is roughly fitted behind his head as something closes over his mouth. </p><p>He takes a breath. </p><p>His lungs are on fire. </p><p>
  <i>“Klaus! C’mon buddy, wake up.”</i>
</p><p>
  <i>“Klaus . . .”</i>
</p><p> </p><p>The voices fade away.</p><p>“Hey soldier.”</p><p>Klaus tilts his head to the side and opens his eyes. </p><p><i>Dave</i>. </p><p>His smile is wide, stretching out his strong jaw that Klaus loves. He used to sneak kisses along it as he squeezed past Dave in the trenches, making the poor guy jump in fright and look around to see if anyone had notice (Klaus wasn’t stupid, he always checked before he did it). </p><p>His eyes though, his eyes are sad.</p><p>Klaus tries to reach out and touch him, but he can’t seem to move. His skin feels like it’s about to peel away from his body.</p><p>“Klaus, you’re sick.”</p><p>“I’m fine,” he croaks. Dave shakes his head, raking his hand through Klaus’ hair. His fingers pass straight through. </p><p>“Klaus, I’ll be here when you’re better.”</p><p>“But what if I don’t get better, what if I go back to how I was before?” </p><p>Dave’s smile reaches his eyes.</p><p>“You won’t do that,” he says, with such unshakable confidence. </p><p>“I need you,” Klaus gasps. </p><p>“They’ll be here for you until I can.” </p><p>Dave stands up, pressing a kiss against Klaus’ cheek. He doesn’t need to feel it to know what it feels like. </p><p>“Now you concentrate on getting better. I’ll be here.”</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly it’s so very loud. </p><p>Wide brown eyes are staring back into his.</p><p>“Klaus! Can you hear me?”</p><p>Klaus ducks his chin slightly, the oxygen mask rubbing against his pillow. Ben blows out a breath of relief.  His head is turned back so he’s facing the ceiling.</p><p>There’s beeping and Five is yelling and there’s the wheeze of the oxygen mask pushing air into his lungs.</p><p>Ben leans over him, speaking in his ear.</p><p>“Klaus, they’re going to put you back on the morphine. You’re getting worse.”</p><p>Klaus nods again. Dave’s right. He can do it again. </p><p>Ben rubs his hand over his face in relief.</p><p>The pain that has been screaming through his body is silenced as the relief washes over him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Poor Klaus :( </p><p>Nathan, using his powers to save the day again.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Last one!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nathan steps out of the shower, wrapping a towel monogrammed with a “UA” around his waist. He looks at himself in the mirror. He’s still looking a bit peaky, but he reckons he’s doing pretty well for someone who’s been shot in the head and died of blood loss only a couple of days ago.</p><p>When Grace finally declared that he was well enough to get out of bed, he had jumped at the chance to get the feeling of death off him. Jumping out of bed proved a stupid idea when he fell flat on his face and had to be dragged back to his feet by Luther. After the shower though, Nathan is feeling much better. His head is clearer and he can stand up without swaying at all now.</p><p>His hair though . . . how did it get so long? He pokes at it, fluffing the wet ringlets out in the mirror. Maybe Allison can perform one of her famous makeovers and cut it for him.</p><p>He knows Klaus would love the chance to get at his hair with a pair of scissors. Nathan leans against the sinks as he thinks about his brother. Yesterday had been . . . traumatic. Watching Klaus hysterically upset while he got sicker and sicker had been horrible. Luther had said it must have been the fever affecting his mind but Nathan wasn’t so sure. He’d seen how much work Klaus had put in to getting clean. He knows how much it means to him.</p><p>He knows how much Dave means to him.</p><p>He is looking better this morning though. He didn’t need the oxygen mask anymore and he was starting to get some colour back. Five had said that his temperature was back to normal, well, normal for Klaus. Something about his powers meant that he ran a little cold.</p><p>Ben had been curled up asleep in the armchair Luther had positioned next to Klaus’ head. Nathan hadn’t seen him leave the room once.</p><p>There’s a knock on the door.</p><p>“You okay in there?” Diego asks.</p><p>“Yep, just finishing off a wank!” he calls back cheekily.</p><p>There’s an exasperated sigh. Nathan loves winding Diego up. It’s so easy.</p><p>“That’s great Nathan, because <em>Mom’s</em> here and she’s got some clothes for you.”</p><p>Nathan lets his head bang against the mirror. Shit.</p><p> </p><p>Nathan walks into the lounge room towel drying his hair. Allison looks him up and down, wolf-whistling.</p><p>“Nice look, Nathan.”</p><p>He sticks out his tongue.</p><p>“Why do I have to wear this shit?” He spots Grace dusting a painting of a creepy looking guy with a monocle. “I mean stuff,” he quickly corrects.</p><p>She pretends not to have heard.</p><p>Allison chuckles, perching herself on the arm of the couch. Diego is grinning from ear-to-ear. Even Vanya is fighting hard to hold back a smirk.</p><p>“You and Klaus are exactly the same size, it just made sense to lend you some of his clothes.”</p><p>Nathan stands with his hands on his hips and glares at them. He’s wearing a horrific pair of leather pants that he’d hoped wouldn’t fit, but of course, they did. The fluro orange t-shirt is far too short and exposed a band of flesh above his waistband that Nathan was not used to including in his normal fashion choices. He had already vowed to steal one of Ben’s hoodies as soon as possible.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey guys, Mom put on a pot of coffee before-ah!”</p><p>Luther jumps back as he walks past Nathan, sloshing his coffee on the floor. His eyebrows have disappeared into his hairline. His mouth hangs open.</p><p>“Take a picture, it’ll last longer!” Nathan snarls, curling his lip. He snaps his head towards the other three on the couch that are chuckling.</p><p>“I suppose you think this is funny, yeah?” he snaps as the siblings fight to contain their giggles. Allison waves her hand in apology.</p><p>“Sorry, it’s just that you look so much like him, but it’s all wrong!” she says with a breathy laugh, holding a hand over her mouth.</p><p>“It’s like Klaus, but with massive mistakes!” Vanya laughs, drawing her legs up so she’s sitting cross legged on the couch. The siblings study Nathan across the lounge room as Luther sidles over to squeeze between Vanya and Diego.</p><p>“It’s the no-make up thing,” Diego says, stroking his chin.</p><p>“Nah, it’s his hips,” Allison points out. “Klaus is all like, flowy. Nathan’s too aggressive.”</p><p>“Who are you calling aggressive?” Nathan fires back.</p><p>“It’s his posture,” Luther weighs in. “Klaus is more straight-backed. Nathan hunches.”</p><p>“Says you, gorilla boy!”</p><p>Nathan had been warned many times about using that nickname, something to do with Luther’s future body, but he doesn’t care. He’s cranky and uncomfortable and more than a little bit stressed out if he’s being perfectly honest.</p><p>Luther leaps out of his seat, only to be held back by Diego who reacts just as quickly.</p><p>A flash of blue interrupts them.</p><p>Five lands between the siblings on the couch and Nathan. He looks Klaus’ twin up and down. He shrugs.</p><p>“Hmpf.” The little man clasps his hands behind his back and looks between his siblings and Nathan. “Just thought you might want to know that Klaus is awake.”</p><p>He looks Klaus up and down once more.</p><p>“It’s definitely the posture,” he says before flashing out of the room.</p><p> </p><p>Nathan isn’t ashamed to admit that he runs to the infirmary. The door is already open when he rushes in. He can’t hold back his grin when his eyes settle on Klaus, propped up with pillows and talking softly with Ben. Five is already by his side with Grace, checking dials on the machines.</p><p>Klaus smiles when he sees Nathan.</p><p>“Looking good, <em>mein bruder</em>,” he says. His voice is husky. Ben holds out a cup of water with a straw for Klaus to drink from. He tries to hold it with a shaking hand, but Ben doesn’t let go.</p><p>Nathan skips the rest of the way to the bed and sits on the edge, careful to avoid his injured leg.</p><p>“Whatdya reckon Ben, who wears it better?” Nathan says, motioning to his outfit.</p><p>Ben looks up at him. Dark bags hang under his bloodshot eyes.</p><p>“No-one should be wearing it,” he deadpans. Klaus pouts at him.</p><p>“Aw, Benny, you love my outfits!”</p><p>“No, I just like when you are wearing clothes,” Ben replies.</p><p>Five interrupts by jamming a thermometer into Klaus’ mouth. He pulls each of Klaus’ eyelids up, then hooks a stethoscope into his ears and presses the chest piece against his bruised ribs. Klaus rolls his eyes.</p><p>“None of that. You have to put up with being poked and prodded when you almost die.”</p><p>Klaus blushes slightly and ducks his head, looking at the hem of the sheets that his fingers are idly playing with. Ben clicks his tongue.</p><p>“You’re making it sound like it was his fault,” he says under his breath.</p><p>“Correct,” Five replies, whipping the thermometer out of Klaus’ mouth. “Back to normal,” he announces.</p><p>Ben glares at his brother who is adjusting a dial on the drip.</p><p>“So it was Klaus’ fault that he was shot?”</p><p>“Boys,” Grace smiles sweetly. “Remember, no fighting in the infirmary”</p><p>“No, but it was his fault for not telling us, and for pulling out his morphine!”</p><p>Five drops the stethoscope angrily on the trolley and glares at his brother. His normally controlled face is flushed pink.</p><p>Ben is out of his seat. Nathan can hear the faintest growl coming from under his hoodie.</p><p>“Oh, and I suppose it was his fault for getting kidnapped and tortured, <em>again</em>!” Ben shouts, leaning over Klaus with a pointed finger. “For getting stabbed and shot and put in a situation where he’s back on drugs after he’s fought for months, no years, to get clean!”</p><p>“No, that was my fault!” Five screams back.</p><p>His words echo against the silence of the infirmary.</p><p>He quickly steps back, smoothing down his blazer with shaking hands. He opens his mouth, but only a choking sound comes out.</p><p>For the first time, Nathan sees him run away without using his powers. He pushes past his siblings who are gathered in the doorway.</p><p>Ben stares at the door, his mouth open. Klaus is taking quick, choking breaths, rocking back and forward slightly.</p><p>“It’s okay, it’ll be okay,” Nathan soothes. “I’ll . . I’ll go after him.”</p><p> </p><p>Nathan finally (<em>this house is huge</em>) finds Five with his knee-socked legs dangling from the fire escape. Nathan threads his own legs through the railing to sit next to him, trying to pull up his horrific leather pants to cover his arse crack.</p><p>Five scrubs at his face, turning away. He looks every bit the thirteen year old child his body looks like.</p><p>“Is Klaus okay,” Five asks, looking away.</p><p>“The others will be looking after him,” Nathan replies.</p><p>He racks his brain for something to say. He’s no good at this sort of thing, Klaus is better at talking about feelings (as long as they aren’t his own). Five doesn’t seem like the sort of guy who would appreciate emotional advice from a nineteen-year-old.</p><p>It makes sense though, why Five was so riled up while he was working on Klaus. Nathan had just assumed he’d been worried like the rest of them, but the way he moved around was frenzied, desperate.</p><p>Because if Klaus had died, it would have been his fault.</p><p>Hazel and Cha Cha weren’t even after Nathan and Klaus. They wanted Five.</p><p>“Sorry that you got killed,” Five mumbles, still refusing to look at Nathan.</p><p>“I told you, I was happy to do it. Klaus needed blood and -”</p><p>“No, back at the hotel.”</p><p>Oh. He’d almost forgotten about that.</p><p>“Dying was the easy bit. Getting the shit beaten out of me wasn’t so great . . . “</p><p>
  <em>Well done Nathan. Shut your stupid mouth.</em>
</p><p>“Sorry.”</p><p>“It’s fine, really,” Nathan says, far too jovially. He clears his throat.</p><p>“You know, Klaus would have done what he did five times over if he thought it would protect you.”</p><p>Five hisses in a breath, gripping the bars of the railing.</p><p>“That’s not the point. I should have protected him.”</p><p>“Because you’re older?” Nathan asks, an eyebrow quirked.</p><p>Five pushes against the railings.</p><p>“Yeah, and because I’m the one with the training.”</p><p>“Seems like Klaus has had his own training too,” Nathan replies, looking at Five out of the corner of his eye. The old man scoffs.</p><p>“Yeah, it seems he has.”</p><p>“It was pretty fucking cool,” Nathan says with a smile. Five shrugs.</p><p>“I have to admit, when I heard that he went to Vietnam, I pictured him working in the meal tent, y’know, cooking or something.”</p><p>“Driving the other cooks crazy trying to find the ingredients to make waffles,” Nathan adds.</p><p>“Using the entire month’s ration of sugar in one meal,” Five says, the corner of his wide mouth lifting.</p><p>“I actually thought he woulda been running a bar or a nightclub or some shit, y’know, all flashing lights and go go dancers.”</p><p>Five nods. “I could see him doing that.” He rubs his bare knees. “Instead he comes back able to hit a mark a hundred feet away with one arm.”</p><p>“He was bloody scary.”</p><p>“He’s got better aim than Diego now.” Five looks up at Nathan seriously. “You tell Diego I said that and I’ll drop you off London Bridge.”</p><p>Nathan grins. He unfolds himself and gets to his feet, holding a hand out for Five.</p><p>“You saved his life,” Nathan says seriously, forcing Five into eye contact.</p><p>“So did you,” Five replies with a tight smile.</p><p>He flashes away, leaving Nathan’s hand hanging.</p><p>“<em>Twat!”</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Five is waiting outside the door to the infirmary when Nathan gets there. The younger boy rolls his eyes dramatically.</p><p>“You look exactly like Klaus when you do that,” Five comments.</p><p>“Y’know, if you were going to wait for me, you could have just waited upstairs. We could have walked down together.”</p><p>Five ignores him, spying at his family huddled around Klaus’ bed from behind the door.</p><p>“What, is Five scared?” Nathan taunts. Five scowls, standing up straight.</p><p>“I’ll talk to them later, Klaus needs to rest -”</p><p>Nathan pushes Five into the room. The boy staggers, holding his hands out to balance. He looks up at his siblings who are all staring at him after his abrupt entrance.</p><p>Nathan waltzes in behind him.</p><p>“Five, are you alright?” Luther asks, stepping towards him. Five straightens and dusts off his blazer, shooting a glare at Nathan.</p><p>“Can I, can I speak to Ben and Klaus alone?” Five asks.</p><p>“No you cannot,” Ben seethes back. He’s sitting in bed with his brother, making room for the rest of their siblings. Klaus smacks his hand lightly.</p><p>“What’s this about Five?” Vanya asks. Her face is creased with worry.</p><p>Five turns away. His hands are balling into fists, ready to --</p><p>“Five thinks this is all his fault,” Nathan blurts out.</p><p>Five freezes as Nathan’s revelation washes over his siblings.</p><p>“How do you figure that?” Diego asks, twisting from his spot perched on the side of the armchair which Allison is sitting in.</p><p>“It was me they were looking for,” Five says without turning around.</p><p>“It still doesn’t make it your fault,” Allison says calmly.</p><p>Nathan stands next to Five. He thinks about putting a hand on his shoulder, but he gets the strong impression he’s not the touchy-feely type.</p><p>“It wasn’t your fault.”</p><p>His voice is weak and scratchy but it carries across the room. Nathan notices Five flinch at Klaus’ words.</p><p>He turns around and faces his brother.</p><p>“They almost killed you.”</p><p>“And you saved me,” Klaus says with a soft smile.</p><p>“I’m pretty sure it was Klaus who saved us,” Luther blunders in. Vanya smacks him in the arm.</p><p>“You have to get sober all over again,” Five says, ignoring Luther.</p><p>“Which . . .yeah, will suck, a lot . . . but you guys will be here to help me.”</p><p>“You shouldn’t have been there,” Five says, looking up at Klaus, then at Nathan.</p><p>“Five, you’ve finally hit puberty! Your voice is cracking,” Klaus teases from his bed. Five lets out a choked bark that could almost have been a laugh.</p><p>Klaus holds his arms out.</p><p>“Come here old man. Group hug!”</p><p>“We are not group hugging,” Diego says, standing up.</p><p>Five doesn’t go in for a hug, but he does move closer to the bed. Vanya wraps an arm around him, while Klaus squeezes his hand. His other arm is strapped tightly in a sling.</p><p>“Thanks for getting me back here and stopping me from bleeding out,” Klaus says, looking up at Five. “Ben tells me I was a little less than co-operative.”</p><p>“So, standard Klaus,” Diego says.</p><p>Everyone except Klaus laughs at his joke.</p><p>“We should be thanking Nathan,” Five says solemnly. Klaus’ head snaps up to look at his twin who’s standing at the end of his bed.</p><p>“I hadn’t told him yet,” Ben explains, looking at Nathan.</p><p>“It’s fine, no worries,” Nathan says, flapping a hand. “Is anyone else hungry?”</p><p>Grace steps forward from the wall where she had apparently been standing, watching the whole time.</p><p>“I’ll make sandwiches!” she announced brightly before she walks out of the room, heels clacking against the hardwood floors. Nathan could get used to having a mum like Grace around.</p><p>“What did you do?” Klaus asks, the slightest hint of accusation in his voice.</p><p>Nathan scratches the back of his neck. He was happy when the conversation was about someone else.</p><p>“You were bleeding heavily. The bullet hit an artery. Nathan was the only match for your blood,” Five reports clinically.</p><p>Klaus grins.. “Aw, thanks bro.”</p><p>“He gave you five litres.”</p><p>Nathan watches with a whimper as Klaus works it out.</p><p> </p><p>“Hang on, no -” His eyes snap up to Nathan. “Five litres!” Klaus tries to sit up further, but winces in pain. Ben’s fussing over him immediately, rearranging his pillows while Klaus points a finger at Nathan.</p><p>“Five litres Nathan? People die if they lose five litres of blood.”</p><p>Nathan shrugs. “I’m immortal.”</p><p>“Don’t give me that I’m immortal shit. I know what coming back does to you, and especially after you died, what, a few hours earlier? Jesus Nathan!”</p><p>“I’m fiiiiiiiiine,” Nathan whines.</p><p>“You can’t just keep dying to save my life!”</p><p>“Why not? It’s my power, and I think it’s a pretty fucking good way to use it.”</p><p>Klaus scowls back at him. “Dickhead.”</p><p>“Twat.”</p><p>“Arsehole.”</p><p>“Melon fucker.”</p><p>“Sandwiches!” Grace announces, holding aloft a silver tray. “Nathan, honey, please watch your language.”</p><p>Nathan groans. Klaus smiles smugly.</p><p>Grace offers Klaus the first pick of sandwiches. He takes a chip and marshmallow and jams it in his mouth. He then picks a ham, cheese and pickle, holding Nathan’s favourite sandwich out for him. After Luther gets a hold of the tray, Nathan won’t have had a chance. Nathan takes the sandwich, grinning at his brother.</p><p>With all of his other siblings fighting over the remaining sandwiches, Klaus smiles up at Nathan.</p><p>“Seriously, thank you. I wouldn’t be here without you.”</p><p>Nathan smiles shyly.</p><p>“Neither would I.”</p><p> </p><p>Six days after they arrive at the Academy, it comes time to leave. No-one wants to run into dear old Reggie, especially when he comes back and realises that there’s only one thing that would make him and Pogo go away on a business trip without there being any actual business.</p><p>Diego stomps around in a surly mood the whole day before, until Five tells him that he’s reprogrammed Mom so that she can leave the grounds and come to visit them. His mood noticeably improves after that.</p><p>With Klaus’ keen eye and expert knowledge of the dirty pawn shops of their hometown, the siblings sell off enough of Daddy dearest’s antiques to fund a week in a hotel suite plus some extra for whatever’s next.</p><p>They find a hotel suite with enough beds to house them all (including a room with three beds for Ben, Nathan and Klaus, the former two wanting to be able to keep an eye on their recovering sibling). They end up pushing their beds together so that it’s easier to wake each other up from their respective nightmares, although so far it’s only been Klaus who’s needed waking up.</p><p>Klaus ditches the painkillers the day after he wakes up. He mostly deals with the pain by trying to sleep it off, but this just means that there are large expanses of the day where he’s wide awake and fidgety. They can all see that he's struggling. Not being able to walk is a good deterrent to stop Klaus going out to get a hit. The siblings emptied the mini-bar and Nathan is pretty sure that Luther worded up the hotel staff not to restock.</p><p>Still, Klaus is finding it hard. On the second day in the hotel he gets in a fight with Diego ("How hard is it to change the toilet roll?"), then Five ("Would you stop flashing? My head is splitting in half!"). Allison helps Klaus onto the couch and settles him down with an on-demand movie. He spends the rest of the afternoon sobbing into Ben's shoulder. ("It's just so sad, and Oliver looks so much like Dave, and his parents . . ."). Nathan sees that Ben's eyes are wet too as he scowls at Allison.</p><p> </p><p>Nathan lets Klaus cut his hair.</p><p>Allison fixes it up afterwards.</p><p>Five gets Klaus a hot chocolate every morning from the coffee shop down the street, and a tea for Nathan, even though he “feels dirty ordering it”.</p><p>Klaus is making the most of his injury by having Luther carry him around the hotel suite like a Persian prince. Luther is happy to oblige until Klaus instructs him to help him with a bath. He subs out with Ben very quickly on that one. The ex-ghost had enough unwilling experience with Klaus' naked body, but it wasn't something Luther was keen to have to see.</p><p>Ben leaves the bathroom looking like he's been outside in one of Vanya's rainstorms. His hair is plastered to his head, and he doesn't look very happy.</p><p>"Nathan, you're up," he growls, snatching a rolled up towel off the bed. Nathan can hear Klaus whining for more bubbles from the bathtub.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>On the fourth day, Klaus is lying in the middle bed while Nathan sits on the floor with Diego, who is teaching him how to throw butter knives at a patterned cushion propped up against the wall. Ben’s reading a new book he bought from the bookstore next to the coffee shop.</p><p>Klaus is dozing off when he feels the tingle in his fingers. His head snaps up. Leaning against the doorway with his gorgeous muscled arms crossed is Dave. He flashes Klaus one of those smiles that makes his heart melt into a gooey, syrupy mess.</p><p>“Love the robe,” he says with a wink. Klaus fiddles with the collar, batting his eyelashes.</p><p>“Danke”</p><p>Ben looks up from his book. No-one else can see Dave in this form, but Klaus has an inkling that Ben can sense him due to his past life (or death).</p><p>“How are you feeling?” Dave asks softly. He moves into the room to sit on the edge of Klaus’ mattress.</p><p>“Much better. Five says I’m healing quickly now that the fever’s gone.”</p><p>Ben eyes him suspiciously. “Klaus, who are you talking to?”</p><p>Klaus ignores him.</p><p>“Good to hear,” Dave says, “You gave us all a big scare.”</p><p>“Well, I’m better now,” Klaus chirps back.</p><p>“I believe you,” Dave says, leaning over Klaus. “But I guess you can understand if I want to see for myself.”</p><p>He crawls up the bed until he is above Klaus, his strong arms either side of Klaus’ face.</p><p>“Alright! Everyone out!” Klaus shouts out, pointing to the door. Diego and Nathan peer up from behind the far bed like confused meerkats.</p><p>“Everything okay there Klausy?” Nathan asks.</p><p>Ben slaps his book down. “Dave’s just shown up.”</p><p>Diego doesn’t waste a second before scrambling for the door. Nathan darts out after him, pausing only to wink at Klaus. Ben marks the page in his book, tucking it under his arm as he leaves.</p><p>“Ben, shut the door!” Klaus calls out just as the bed sinks under Dave’s weight.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed! Please comment with feedback :)</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let me know what you think! Where's Dave? And will the rest of the gang save them?</p><p>For those who aren't Misfits fans - Nathan's an obnoxious, foul mouthed young offender who has just finished his community service for stealing Pick and Mix. His superpower is immortality and in this 'verse he's Klaus' twin.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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